
Griz stack wins at WSU Cougar Classic
9/29/2025 4:18:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The Montana women's tennis team picked up seven singles wins and four doubles wins overall with two pairs advancing to both the A and B draw semifinals at the Washington State Cougar Classic in Pullman over the weekend.
Â
The tournament was held in a mini dual format, with two player teams squaring off in one doubles and two singles matches per round. The winners of two of the three points advanced as a team in the bracket. The seven-team event included Montana, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, Idaho, Lewis-Clark State, Portland and host Washington State.
Â
The Griz had six players travel to the Palouse, with junior Kelsey Phillips and freshman Meghna Anand competing in the A draw. Senior Shivika Agrawal and freshman Kamila Slovakova paired up in the B draw along with sophomore Monika Fizova and junior Kaylin Kielty.
Â
"The lineup was really good and we got to play against really good competition. I saw our players stepping up, tracking down more balls, digging more things out of the corners, being a bit more aggressive and putting themselves in advantageous positions," said head coach Steve Ascher.
Â
"The energy was good all weekend, from Friday to Sunday everyone was giving their all, learning and growing. I'm excited about the direction things are going."
Â
Phillips and Anand swept the Arutiunian/Gayevyk pair from EWU on day one, with Phillips pulling out a three-set win to see the Griz through to the semifinal. There the Grizzly duo picked up another doubles win over Gonzaga's Nielsen/McNellie pair 8-3 but dropped the two singles matches to fall in the dual.
Â
Anand capped the tournament with a sweep of Gonzaga's Brooke Bittner on day three, 6-3, 6-0, to finish with the best record on the weekend for Montana at 4-2 in combined singles and doubles.
Â
In the B draw, Agrawal and Slovokova advanced to the semifinal after going 2-1 in a day one dual against Gonzaga's Brown/Johnson pair. The Grizzly duo won the doubles 8-3, with Slovakova beating Savannah Johnson in three sets 1-6, 6-4 6-1 to see the UM pair through to the day two semifinal.
Â
Montana now turns its attention to the premiere event on the fall calendar, the ITA Mountain Regional in Provo, Utah, Oct. 7-11.
Â
Montana Results
A Draw
Â
Day 1
Doubles
K. Phillips/M. Anand (Mont.) def. A. Arutiunian/V. Gayevyk (EWU) 8-2
Singles
Kelsey Phillips (Mont.) def. Anait Arutiunian (EWU) 6-2, 5-7, 10-4
Meghna Anand (Mont.) def. Veronika Gayevyk (EWU) 6-3, 6-4
Â
Day 2
Doubles
Phillips/Anand (Mont) def. Nielsen/MacNeille (Gonz) 8-3
Singles
Ella Nielsen (Gonz) def. Kelsey Phillips (Mont) 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-0
Madeleine MacNeille (Gonz) def. Meghna Anand (Mont) 7-5, 6-1
Â
Day 3
Doubles
Hayes/Bittner (Gonz) def. Phillips/Anand (Mont) 8-7 (6)
Singles
Rose Hayes (Gonz) def. Kelsey Phillips (Mont)2-6, 6-1, 6-3
Meghna Anand (Mont) def. Brooke Bittner (Gonz) 6-3, 6-0
Â
Â
B Draw
Â
Day 1
Doubles
S. Agrawal/K. Slovakova (Mont.) def. K. Brown/S. Johnson (Gonz.) 8-3
S. Singh/C. Xu (Idaho) def. M. Fizova/K. Kielty (Mont.) 8-2
Singles
K. Brown (Gonz.) def. Shivika Agrawal (Mont.) 7-6 (3), 6-2
Kamila Slovakova (Mont.) def. S. Johnson (Gonz.) 1-6, 6-4, 6-1
Soha Singh (Idaho) def. Monika Fizova (Mont.) 6-2, 6-3
Chenyue Xu (Idaho) def. Kaylin Kielty (Mont.) 6-2, 6-1
Â
Day 2
Doubles
Nizetic/Lopez (EWU) def. Agrawal/Slovakova (Mont) 8-2
Pradel/Marais (EWU) def. Fizova/Kielty (Monyt) 8-3
Singles
Leandra Nizetic (EWU) Def. Shivika Agrawal (Mont) 6-0, 5-7, 6-1
Kamila Slovakova (Mont) def. Maria Lopez (EWU) 6-3, 6-1
Monika Fizova (Mont) def. Zoe Pradel (EWU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Olivia Marais (EWU) def. Kaylin Kielty (Mont) 6-2, 6-3
Â
Day 3
Doubles
Martinez/Flores (Port) def. Agrawal/Slovakova (Mont) 8-2
Fizona/Kielty (Mont) def. Pearson/Harris (Port) 8-4
Singles
N. Martinez (Port) def. Shivika Agrawal (Mont) 6-3, 6-1
Lexie Flores (Port) def Kamila Slovakova (Mont) 6-0, 6-3
Meagan Pearson (Port) def. Monika Fizova (Mont) 6-4, 7-5
Kennedy Harris (Port) def. Kaylin Kielty (Mont)6-3, 6-4
Â
Â
Â
The tournament was held in a mini dual format, with two player teams squaring off in one doubles and two singles matches per round. The winners of two of the three points advanced as a team in the bracket. The seven-team event included Montana, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, Idaho, Lewis-Clark State, Portland and host Washington State.
Â
The Griz had six players travel to the Palouse, with junior Kelsey Phillips and freshman Meghna Anand competing in the A draw. Senior Shivika Agrawal and freshman Kamila Slovakova paired up in the B draw along with sophomore Monika Fizova and junior Kaylin Kielty.
Â
"The lineup was really good and we got to play against really good competition. I saw our players stepping up, tracking down more balls, digging more things out of the corners, being a bit more aggressive and putting themselves in advantageous positions," said head coach Steve Ascher.
Â
"The energy was good all weekend, from Friday to Sunday everyone was giving their all, learning and growing. I'm excited about the direction things are going."
Â
Phillips and Anand swept the Arutiunian/Gayevyk pair from EWU on day one, with Phillips pulling out a three-set win to see the Griz through to the semifinal. There the Grizzly duo picked up another doubles win over Gonzaga's Nielsen/McNellie pair 8-3 but dropped the two singles matches to fall in the dual.
Â
Anand capped the tournament with a sweep of Gonzaga's Brooke Bittner on day three, 6-3, 6-0, to finish with the best record on the weekend for Montana at 4-2 in combined singles and doubles.
Â
In the B draw, Agrawal and Slovokova advanced to the semifinal after going 2-1 in a day one dual against Gonzaga's Brown/Johnson pair. The Grizzly duo won the doubles 8-3, with Slovakova beating Savannah Johnson in three sets 1-6, 6-4 6-1 to see the UM pair through to the day two semifinal.
Â
Montana now turns its attention to the premiere event on the fall calendar, the ITA Mountain Regional in Provo, Utah, Oct. 7-11.
Â
Montana Results
A Draw
Â
Day 1
Doubles
K. Phillips/M. Anand (Mont.) def. A. Arutiunian/V. Gayevyk (EWU) 8-2
Singles
Kelsey Phillips (Mont.) def. Anait Arutiunian (EWU) 6-2, 5-7, 10-4
Meghna Anand (Mont.) def. Veronika Gayevyk (EWU) 6-3, 6-4
Â
Day 2
Doubles
Phillips/Anand (Mont) def. Nielsen/MacNeille (Gonz) 8-3
Singles
Ella Nielsen (Gonz) def. Kelsey Phillips (Mont) 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-0
Madeleine MacNeille (Gonz) def. Meghna Anand (Mont) 7-5, 6-1
Â
Day 3
Doubles
Hayes/Bittner (Gonz) def. Phillips/Anand (Mont) 8-7 (6)
Singles
Rose Hayes (Gonz) def. Kelsey Phillips (Mont)2-6, 6-1, 6-3
Meghna Anand (Mont) def. Brooke Bittner (Gonz) 6-3, 6-0
Â
Â
B Draw
Â
Day 1
Doubles
S. Agrawal/K. Slovakova (Mont.) def. K. Brown/S. Johnson (Gonz.) 8-3
S. Singh/C. Xu (Idaho) def. M. Fizova/K. Kielty (Mont.) 8-2
Singles
K. Brown (Gonz.) def. Shivika Agrawal (Mont.) 7-6 (3), 6-2
Kamila Slovakova (Mont.) def. S. Johnson (Gonz.) 1-6, 6-4, 6-1
Soha Singh (Idaho) def. Monika Fizova (Mont.) 6-2, 6-3
Chenyue Xu (Idaho) def. Kaylin Kielty (Mont.) 6-2, 6-1
Â
Day 2
Doubles
Nizetic/Lopez (EWU) def. Agrawal/Slovakova (Mont) 8-2
Pradel/Marais (EWU) def. Fizova/Kielty (Monyt) 8-3
Singles
Leandra Nizetic (EWU) Def. Shivika Agrawal (Mont) 6-0, 5-7, 6-1
Kamila Slovakova (Mont) def. Maria Lopez (EWU) 6-3, 6-1
Monika Fizova (Mont) def. Zoe Pradel (EWU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Olivia Marais (EWU) def. Kaylin Kielty (Mont) 6-2, 6-3
Â
Day 3
Doubles
Martinez/Flores (Port) def. Agrawal/Slovakova (Mont) 8-2
Fizona/Kielty (Mont) def. Pearson/Harris (Port) 8-4
Singles
N. Martinez (Port) def. Shivika Agrawal (Mont) 6-3, 6-1
Lexie Flores (Port) def Kamila Slovakova (Mont) 6-0, 6-3
Meagan Pearson (Port) def. Monika Fizova (Mont) 6-4, 7-5
Kennedy Harris (Port) def. Kaylin Kielty (Mont)6-3, 6-4
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
Griz vs Idaho Highlights
Monday, September 29
Griz TV Live Stream
Monday, September 29
Montana vs Idaho Highlights
Sunday, September 28
Griz Volleyball Press Conference - 9/22/25
Tuesday, September 23