Friday, September 26
Pullman, Wash.
All Day
Montana
at
Cougar Classic
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.
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.
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.
"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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
Montana now turns its attention to the premiere event on the fall calendar, the ITA Mountain Regional in Provo, Utah, Oct. 7-11.
Montana Results
A Draw
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
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
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
B Draw
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
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
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
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.
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.
"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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
Montana now turns its attention to the premiere event on the fall calendar, the ITA Mountain Regional in Provo, Utah, Oct. 7-11.
Montana Results
A Draw
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
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
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
B Draw
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
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
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
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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