Crum Paces Bobcat Netters in Loss

Tuesday, April 5

Bozeman

3 PM

Montana State University

Montana

Bobcat freshman Ellie Crum posted a 7-6, 5-7, 10-7 win over Montana's Ashley Mackey Friday night in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

4/5/2011 9:05:47 PM | Women's Tennis

Montana State freshman Ellie Crum was the lone bright spot for the Bobcat women’s tennis team as MSU fell to intra-state rival Montana 6-1, Friday afternoon in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State freshman Ellie Crum was the lone bright spot for the Bobcat women's tennis team as MSU fell to intra-state rival Montana 6-1, Friday afternoon in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.

Montana (9-10, 4-1) opened the match sweeping all three doubles to go up 1-0 at the break.

The Griz then captured victories at Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 singles to get the win. UM clinched the match as Rebecca Bran fought off two set points to post a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Charlotta Hjalmarsson at the top spot.

“We dug ourselves too deep of a hole in the opening set,” said MSU head coach Denise Albrecht. “I thought we did a much better job in the second sets and had a chance to get a couple wins, but it just didn't go our way.”

Looking to avoid the shutout, Crum, a native of Great Falls, faced Ashley Mackey at No. 5 singles. Crum won a first set tiebreaker 7-5 and held a commanding 5-2 lead in the second stanza. Mackey rattled off five unanswered games to notch a 7-5 win and setup the deciding ten-point tiebreak.

Mackey opened the tiebreak with a 4-2 advantage before Crum posted three straight points to take 5-4 margin. Trailing 7-6, Crum rallied for four consecutive points to win the match on back-to-back double faults by Mackey.

“Give Montana credit, they're a good team,” Albrecht said. “The bright spot and the point we will build on is Ellie's win. We'll use that to springboard into our next match against Idaho State.”

MSU will host ISU on Friday at 2 p.m. in the BATC.

Montana 6, Montana State 1

Singles: 1. BRAN, Rebecca (UM) def. HJALMARSSON, Char (MSU-W) 6-1, 7-5; 2. ALEXANDER, Constance (UM) def. TSAN, Wena (MSU-W) 6-0, 6-2; 3. PALUCH, Whitney (UM) def. LOPEZ, Paulina (MSU-W) 6-0, 6-1; 4. DAVIDSON, Heather (UM) def. DE LA TORRE, Andrea (MSU-W) 6-0, 2-6, 6-2; 5. CRUM, Ellie (MSU-W) def. MACKEY, Ashley (UM) 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 10-7; 6. GIBSON, Lauren (UM) def. FAIRBOTHAM, Lucy (MSU-W) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3. Doubles: 1. BRAN, Rebecca/PALUCH, Whitney (UM) def. HJALMARSSON, Char/LOPEZ, Paulina (MSU-W) 8-1; 2. DAVIDSON, Heather/GIBSON, Lauren (UM) def. DE LA TORRE, Andrea/CRUM, Ellie (MSU-W) 8-3; 3. ALEXANDER, Constance/MACKEY, Ashley (UM) def. TSAN, Wena/VILLEGAS, Gabi (MSU-W) 8-6.