Griz double-up on All-Big Sky honors in doubles

Early in the season, the Montana women's tennis team struggled with doubles as the Grizzlies battled through a demanding non-conference schedule that included play-up matches against the likes of Washington State, Gonzaga, Utah, and Cincinnati.

Looking to find the right combinations going into Big Sky play, head coach Steve Ascher shuffled the doubles deck and turned the opening round from a weakness into a strength as the Griz went on to make a long-awaited return to the conference tournament.

That doubles prowess was recognized by coaches around the league on Monday, with two Grizzly teams earning all-conference accolades.

The senior/sophomore duo of Lauren Dunlap and Rosie Sterk were the constant for Montana this season, taking the second-most doubles wins in the Big Sky with an impressive 13-6 overall record and a 6-2 conference record together.

Senior Olivia Oosterbaan and freshman Hailey Murphy were one of the changes Ascher made to the lineup, pairing up for the first time in March. Once they got together, however, they were nearly unstoppable, going 6-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play to earn an All-Big Sky honorable mention.

With notable wins over teams from Utah, Gonzaga, Sacramento State, No. 67 Northern Arizona, and Weber State (the two teams to play for the Big Sky title), Dunlap and Sterk became the first Grizzlies to earn first-team All-Big Sky honors since the conference started recognizing doubles teams in 2017.

Even more impressive was that the pair won the majority of their matches on the No. 1 court, squaring off against the best the opposition had to offer in a competitive Big Sky race and coming away with eight of their 13 wins in the top flight.

"The cool thing was the consistency of it. They started the spring together, they started winning, and they started winning really fun matches against Gonzaga and Utah. Then they go on the road and perform, which was impressive because you're all over, going from sea level to altitude at NAU at 7000 feet. So, that was impressive," said Ascher.

"The other thing that stood out to me was their chemistry. They weren't always playing well together, but somebody was always stepping up, making plays, and rising to the moment. Plus, they had fun, and they loved it. Every single practice was good, and that raised the level of the team in doubles as well. They brought it every day, and it was a joy to watch."

All Big Sky Oosterbaan Murphy

It takes more than one win to clinch the doubles point, however, with two wins in three matches needed to give the team an early 1-0 advantage. Oosterbaan and Murphy's emergence helped the Griz to a 5-3 team doubles record in Big Sky play as UM knocked off rivals Montana State, Idaho, and Eastern Washington to advance to the tourney.

"We lost a few doubles points early, and I didn't like the direction it was going as a coach, so we shuffled it up to try something different. Olivia and Hailey got together, and I thought they played really well," Ascher added.

"They competed well, and they stepped up at the right moments. They had a lot of close matches that they pulled out, so they handled the pressure extremely well."

The honorable mention is the third all-conference accolade of Oosterbaan's career. The senior is set to return for a fifth-year next season and will look to make it four-straight after earning second-team doubles honors in 2021 and an honorable mention in 2022.

With Dunlap the only senior lost to graduation, the Griz now aim to build on their 2023 season, with all but one lineup regular back next year.

2023 Big Sky Women's Tennis All-Conference Awards

MVP: Ana Morett (WSU)
Freshman of the Year: Patrycja Niewiadomska (NAU)*
Coach of the Year: RuthAnn Allen (WSU)
* - unanimous selection

2023 Big Sky Women's Tennis All-Conference Teams

All-Big Sky Singles First Team
Ana Morett (WSU)*
Masha Ponomareva (PSU)*
Annabel Davis (UI)
Sofia Markova (NAU)
Guadiana Campos (NAU)
Megan Davies (WSU)
* - Unanimous first team selection

All-Big Sky Singles Second Team
Patrycja Niewiadomska (NAU)
Lola O'Lideadha (ISU)
Mayya Gorbunova (SAC)
Elizabeth Strongina (PSU)
Madelyn Ferreros (SAC)
Ava NeyestanI (NAU)^
Kenzington Mann (EWU)^
^ - Tied for final spot on second team

All-Big Sky Singles Honorable Mention
Megan Lombardi (WSU)
Sol O'Lideadha (ISU)
Felicia Jayasaputra (MSU)

All-Big Sky Doubles First Team
Masha Ponomareva/Capu Sanoner (PSU)*
Lola O'Lideadha/Sol O'Lideadha (ISU)
Rosie Sterk/Lauren Dunlap (UM)
* - Unanimous first team selection

All-Big Sky Doubles Second Team
Ana Morett/Megan Davies (WSU)
Patrycja Niewiadomska/Laura Duhl (NAU)
Leah Kuruvilla/Hana Cho (ISU)

All-Big Sky Doubles Honorable Mention
Hailey Murphy/Olivia Oosterbaan (UM)

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Lauren Dunlap

Hailey Murphy

Olivia Oosterbaan

Rosie Sterk

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