Bobcat Women Defeat Weber State for Big Sky Tourney Berth

Saturday, April 16

Bozeman

10 AM

Montana State University

Weber State

Charlotta Hjalmarsson (l) and Paulina Lopez posted an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles on Saturday.

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

Bobcat Women Defeat Weber State for Big Sky Tourney Berth

4/16/2011 5:48:36 PM | Women's Tennis

Montana State junior Andrea De La Torre posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Weber State’s Kristi Russell at No. 5 singles to clinch a 5-2 victory for the Bobcats, Saturday afternoon in the Anderson Tennis Center.

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State junior Andrea De La Torre posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Weber State's Kristi Russell at No. 5 singles to clinch a 5-2 victory for the Bobcats, Saturday afternoon in the Anderson Tennis Center.

With the victory, Montana State (8-9, 5-2) clinched one of four berths to the Big Sky Conference Tournament, which will be hosted by the Bobcats next weekend.

“Our young team is starting to come of age,” said MSU head coach Denise Albrecht, who has led the Bobcats to every Big Sky tournament in her 11-year career at MSU. “I thought we had our best doubles play of the season.”

MSU opened the afternoon sweeping all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 advantage at the break. Montana State's doubles play was highlighted at the No. 3 position where Wena Tsan and Gabi Villegas combined for an 8-3 victory.

A quick 6-0, 6-0 decision by Paulina Lopez at No. 3 singles gave the Bobcats a 2-0 advantage. Weber State (4-11, 3-5) rallied with win at Nos. 1 and 2 singles to tie the match at two-all.

True freshman Ellie Crum, a native of Great Falls, put MSU back on top with a 6-4, 6-1 decision over WSU's Michelle Warwick at No. 4 singles to setup De La Torre's match clinching win at No. 5 singles.

Sophomore Lucy Fairbotham closed out the scoring for MSU with a 6-3, 5-7, 9-7 victory at No. 6 singles.

“All season we've had a one-point, one-game, one-match approach,” Albrecht said. “We never got rattled and we played very steady tennis. It's nice to secure a spot in the Big Sky Tournament, but right now we are turning our attention to Northern Arizona.”

MSU will close out its regular-season schedule against NAU at 9 a.m. on Sunday in the BATC.

Montana State 5, Weber State 2

Singles: 1. ESLAMI, Naseem (WSU) def. HJALMARSSON, Char (MSU-W) 6-1, 6-3; 2. MOORE, Brittney (WSU) def. TSAN, Wena (MSU-W) 6-1, 6-3; 3. LOPEZ, Paulina (MSU-W) def. KARLSEN, Annika (WSU) 6-0, 6-0; 4. CRUM, Ellie (MSU-W) def. WARWICK, Michelle (WSU) 6-4, 6-1; 5. DE LA TORRE, Andrea (MSU-W) def. RUSSELL, Kristi (WSU) 6-1, 6-4; 6. FAIRBOTHAM, Lucy (MSU-W) def. PHONHARATH, Nittaya (WSU) 6-3, 5-7, 9-7. Doubles: 1. HJALMARSSON, Char/LOPEZ, Paulina (MSU-W) def. MOORE, Brittney/ESLAMI, Naseem (WSU) 8-4; 2. DE LA TORRE, Andrea/CRUM, Ellie (MSU-W) def. KARLSEN, Annika/WARWICK, Michelle (WSU) 8-4; 3. TSAN, Wena/VILLEGAS, Gabi (MSU-W) def. RUSSELL, Kristi/PHONHARATH, Nittaya (WSU) 8-3.