Griz return home for pair of key conference duals

After a confidence-building 2-1 showing at the Boise State Spring Fling, the Montana men's tennis team dives into the deep end of conference play this week with a pair of duals against two of the top three teams in the Big Sky.

The Griz will have one big advantage in this week's slate: home court advantage. Both matches are set to be played at the Peak Racquet Club in Missoula where UM is undefeated on the season and holds an 88 percent winning record over the last seven years.

Montana (11-6, 1-1 BSC) will look for all the home court advantage it can muster as well when third place Sacramento State (10-5, 2-1 BSC) and second place Idaho State (11-7, 3-1) coming to town and UM searching for revenge after being beaten by both teams on the road last season.

Montana opens the weekend against the Hornets on Thursday, March 28, with the doubles round getting underway at 11 a.m. The Griz then get two days to prep for Idaho State, with start time set for 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 31. All matches at the Peak are open to the public and admission is free.

The Griz enter this weekend's slate in sixth on the Big Sky table, needing to remain in the top six to earn a trip to the conference championship tournament in Phoenix at the end of the regular season.

The Grizzlies closed out their nonconference slate in a trip to Boise over spring break, getting a little more revenge against Idaho to start the weekend. UM beat the Vandals 4-0 just two weeks after losing 1-6 in Moscow.

Following a strong showing against No. 69 Utah State in a 0-4 loss, the Griz finished the tourney in third place with a 4-0 sweep of Illinois State, who currently leads the Summit League standings.

"I feel like we regained a lot of our early season momentum last weekend. The results were good, but the tennis level has definitely seen an uptick. We're playing better tennis now as a team than at any point this season, and that's the goal. We want to play our best tennis in March and April," said head coach Jason Brown.

Sophomore Tom Bittner battled injury in Boise and continued his stellar season. Making his debut on line one, Bittner improved to 11-1 in singles, clinching Montana's win over Illinois State in the 3rd/4th place match. The German beat ISU's Nam Pham with a dominant third set 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 to lead the Griz to a 4-0 win over the Redbirds.

He and his partner Chris Zhang also clinched the doubles point for the Griz against Illinois State, beating the Hajalte/Pham pair 6-4 on court two.

Bittner was also beating Idaho's Francisco Gay in the second set 6-4, 5-5 on court one when the Grizzlies clinched a 4-0 win over the Vandals. He earned UM's nomination for Big Sky Player of the Week.

"Tom really stepped up this weekend. He and Chris Zhang found their magic from earlier this season in doubles and brought a lot of energy. Then he just put on an absolute clinic in his third set in clinching our match against Illinois State. You just don't see too many 6-0 sets on the number one court at all. People are just too good. Serves are too good. It's always going to be close. Tom really took care of business," added Brown.

Montana was also buoyed by the return of Fernando Perez, who has battled his way back to health and is now 8-5 overall in singles and 6- in doubles with his partner, fellow Spaniard Guillermo Martin.

Moritz Stoeger has been another standout in doubles with an 11-6 record and went 2-1 overall in Boise.

SCOUTING SAC: The Hornets come to Missoula at 2-1 in league play and 10-5 overall after handing Idaho State its first conference loss of the season 5-2 in Sacramento last week.

Senior Mate Voros was named Big Sky co-Player of the Week this week after clinching the match in singles and picking up a doubles win as well for the Hornets.

Sac State is led by Mark Keki, a three-time first team All-Big Sky pick in singles and doubles who is 9-2 on the season on court one and undefeated at 3-0 in conference play. Sophomore Adam Chodur has also been holding down the middle of the Sac lineup at 11-1 overall and 8-1 on court four. Keki and Voros have been dominant for Sac in doubles this season at 7-2 as a pair.

"Mark Keki has been one of the best we've seen in the conference over the last decade. Last time he was here he had an absolutely unbelievable match with Ed Pudney that determined the Big Sky MVP, so we're excited see him again," Brown added.

SCOUTING ISU: The senior-laden Bangles come to Missoula with a 11-7 record after going 2-1 over spring break, falling to Sac State then returning home to beat Portland State and Montana State handily in Pocatello. They also picked up a 5-2 win over Idaho the same weekend Montana lost to the Vandals in Moscow to sit at 3-1 in conference play and in second place in the standings.

ISU is led by South African Wikus Robbertse who enters the weekend at 14-2 this season having won 12-straight, with wins over opponents that include nationally ranked Denver and Utah State, as well as Air Force and Utah.

Hiroki Fujita was named the other co-Big Sky Player of the Week after going 4-1in that span as well.

"Idaho State's had a hell of a season. They're a really veteran team coming in here with six seniors and are really tough up top. We lost to both of these teams last year so hopefully the homecourt advantage will help out," said Brown.

UP NEXT: Montana hosts Weber State in another crucial Big Sky showdown on April 6. With the Wildcats and Grizzlies tying for fifth in the preseason conference poll, the dual will go a long way toward determining UM's postseason fate. First serves at the Peak Racquet Club are set for 10:30 a.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tom Bittner

Guillermo Martin

Fernando Perez

Moritz Stoeger

Chris Zhang

University of Montana Athletics