Griz open conference play with two matches in Idaho

The Montana men's tennis team opens Big Sky play on the road this week facing the tall task of beating the two-time defending conference champion Idaho Vandals at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.

Coming off a road trip to Colorado where Montana (7-3, 0-0 BSC) limped home with injuries after dropping a pair of matches to No. 38 Denver and Wichita State, the Griz are on the mend as they head to the Palouse for two matches.

UM eases the bodies back into action on Friday, March 8, in a tune-up at NAIA Lewis-Clark State at 1 p.m. (MT) before the Grizzlies play their first Big Sky match against the Vandals on Sunday, March 10, at Noon (MT).

Links to live scoring and video streaming from the Kibbie Dome can be found on the team's schedule page at GoGriz.com.

Montana will face Idaho for the first time since Vandals eliminated the Griz from the Big Sky tournament last April, and much has changed in Moscow.

Idaho is 0-7 under first-year head coach (and former Southern Utah head man) Raleigh Grossbaum. The Vandals have played a grueling schedule that has seen five matches canceled and an 0-5 trip to California where they faced some nationally ranked teams on their home courts.

Nevertheless, Montana has come up short in some big time battles against Idaho in recent years, with the last win over the Vandals coming in 2021 in Missoula, and the last win in Moscow all the way back in 2019.

All that goes out the window when the conference schedule starts, however, and the Griz know they have another battle on their hands. They also know the outcome Sunday will go a long way to determining their postseason fate.

"Idaho has really been the cream of the Big Sky crop since they came back and sometimes bucking long odds to do it. So, we're excited about the opportunity and ready to get conference play kicked-off. We talk all the time about March and April. Nothing matters until March and April. Well, it's March so the scoreboard counts," said head coach Jason Brown.

"We came back from Denver a little banged up, but that's part of sports. We've got tough kids, and they want it. So, we're looking forward to this trip. It's been a good start to the season, and now it's time to get dialed in for the final two months."

GRIZ TRACKS: Tom Bittner earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors two weeks ago after helping the Griz to a sweep of North Dakota and Marquette in Grand Forks. He remained undefeated on the season after the tip to Denver with two unfinished matches.

The sophomore is tied for the second-most wins of any player in the Big Sky and is one of only two at 7-0.

Newcomer Chris Zhang has also been rock solid toward the bottom of the UM lineup at 6-1 on the season. Fernando Perez and Moritz Stoeger each have built up six wins as well, despite missing some action with the aforementioned injuries.

SCOUTING LC-STATE: The Warriors are set to play a pair of Big Sky opponents this weekend as Idaho State comes to Lewiston to face LC-State on Saturday. LCSC is 7-4 on the season but 0-2 against D-I opponents, with ISU having already beaten them in the season opener 7-0.

SCOUTING THE VANDALS: In the middle of a tough nonconference, only six Vandal individuals have managed to pick up a singles win this season, and the team managing just one doubles point against San Diego State.

Despite the lack of wins, Idaho returns several stars from their back-to-back championship teams including three all-conference honorees. The Vandal roster is loaded with upperclassmen as well, with five of the eight players listed as a junior or senior.

Senior Matteo Masala was a second-team all-conference singles and doubles pick two years running, and junior Francisco Ga also returns with postseason accolades. Sophomore Taiyo Kurata also earned honors in singles and doubles last season, giving Idaho plenty of depth in the lineup.

It will be a busy weekend for the Vandals, however, with the Montana/Idaho match the third of three-straight for the home team over the next three days.

Idaho opens the weekend with Idaho State in a Big Sky rivalry match, followed by a nonconference match against Seattle University on Saturday. The Vandals then cap the weekend against the Griz in their final match of the year in the Kibbie Dome.

UP NEXT: Montana travels to Oregon for a pair of matches in the Rose City, one in conference play, and one out.

The Griz open the trip with a Friday dual against the Portland Pilots on March 15, followed by a Sunday conference match against Portland State on March 17.

Griz open conference play with two matches in Idaho

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Players Mentioned

Tom Bittner

Fernando Perez

Moritz Stoeger

Chris Zhang

University of Montana Athletics