Bobcat Netters Drop 5-2 Decision at Utah State

Thursday, March 27

Logan, UT

TBA

Montana State University

Utah State

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

3/27/2014 4:58:00 PM | Women's Tennis

MSU begins three-match road swing.

By: Tom Schulz

Playing without its No. 1 singles player Iva Parapunova, the Montana State women's tennis team battled Utah State before eventually falling 5-2 to the Aggies, Thursday afternoon.

The junior from Auckland, New Zealand, teamed with Paulina Lopez at No. 1 doubles, where the tandem dropped an 8-3 decision to USU's McKenzie Davis and Kallie Sperry. MSU's No. 2 duo of Laura Middel and Ellie Crum won its sixth consecutive match with an 8-6 victory. Utah State captured the doubles point with an 8-6 win at the No. 3 spot.

"Our doubles play has been pretty solid the past few weeks," MSU head coach Denise Albrecht said. "It would've been nice to get the first point, but we came up short."

With Parapunova out of the singles ladder, Albrecht moved each player up a spot. Utah State earned victories at Nos. 1 and 3 singles to take a 3-0 advantage, before Lopez rallied for a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 win over USU's Nini Guensler at No. 2 singles. Lopez, a senior from Naucalpan, Mexico, has notched an 8-2 record in her last ten singles matches.

The Aggies secured the team victory with a straight set win at No. 5 singles, before senior Wena Tsan recorded MSU's second point of the match with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision at No. 4 singles. The win was Tsan's third straight victory. USU closed out the match with a straight set win at No. 6 singles.

"Anytime you move people up the ladder it presents new challenges," Albrecht said. "I thought our kids responded pretty well. Both Pau and Wena had good matches."

MSU will play at Weber State on Friday and Idaho State on Saturday.

Utah State 5, Montana State 2. Singles: 1. DAVIS, McKenzie (USU) def. MIDDEL, Laura (MSU) 6-3, 6-4; 2. LOPEZ, Paulina (MSU) def. GUENSLER, Nini (USU) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2; 3. SPERRY, Kallie (USU) def. CRUM, Ellie (MSU) 6-4, 6-1; 4. TSAN, Wena (MSU) def. SWEET, Katie (USU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; 5. TURLEY, Lexi (USU) def. CRUM, Molly (MSU) 6-1, 6-1; 6. BRANSTINE, Cassidy (USU) def. BRYCKI, Jessica (MSU) 6-2, 6-4. Doubles: 1. DAVIS, McKenzie/SPERRY, Kallie (USU) def. PARAPUNOVA, Iva/LOPEZ, Paulina (MSU) 8-3; 2. MIDDEL, Laura/CRUM, Ellie (MSU) def. GUENSLER, Nini/TURLEY, Lexi (USU) 8-6; 3. SWEET, Katie/STUHLMANN, Amber (USU) def. TSAN, Wena/CRUM, Molly (MSU) 8-6.