Bobcat Women Fall to Lumberjacks in Epic Battle

Saturday, April 15

BOZEMAN

9 a.m.

Montana State University

Northern Arizona

Bobcat seniors Wanda Holopainen, Naomi Holopainen, Shelby Cerkovnik, Jessica Brycki and Laura Middel with head coach Jon Reeves.

4/15/2017 3:02:00 PM | Women's Tennis

“It could’ve easily been 4-3 us or at the same time 5-2 for either team,” Reeves said. “It was tight all the way across the board. We knew we were facing the best team in the conference, in my opinion, over the last two years, and if we did the right things, it would be a match that they would never forget because it was a match played at the highest level, and I think that happened.”

By: Tom Schulz

In a battle between the two undefeated teams in the Big Sky Conference, Northern Arizona rallied for a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Montana State, Saturday morning in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.

Montana State (12-4, 8-1) came out strong in doubles play as its top tandem of Chloe Goyette and Laura Middel easily dispatched Blanka Szavay and Chiara Tomasetti 6-1. Northern Arizona (15-4, 9-0) answered back with a 6-3 win at the No. 3 spot.

With the opening point on the board at No. 2 doubles, MSU's duo of Jessica Brycki and Naomi Holopainen jumped out to a 5-3 advantage, but NAU's Hanneke Lodewijks and Brandy Walker fought back to force a tiebreaker. The Bobcats took command winning the first six points and went on the claim a 7-1 win to give MSU a 1-0 lead heading into singles.

"Doubles turned out to be pretty exciting," said MSU head coach Jon Reeves. "We knew it was going to be difficult. It was just a matter of if we could get ahead in some matches and sustain it, and we were able to do that. No. 2 became super close and we really stuck in there and fought well."

The Bobcats took a 2-0 advantage in the match as freshman standout Chloe Goyette cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Lodewijks. With the victory, the Yakima product remained undefeated in Big Sky play with a 9-0 record, including a 5-0 mark at the top spot. Goyette is 14-2 in singles action on the season.

"Chloe is like an anomaly," Reeves said. "She does very well with the little subtleties of the game. She hits the ball as clean as you're going to hit, plays really good defense and she's a super smart kid that is incredibly competitive."

Northern Arizona captured the heart of the singles ladder winning at Nos. 2, 3 and 4 to take a 3-2 margin in the match. Szavay posted a 7-5, 6-3 win over Naomi Holopainen at No. 3 singles, before Walker held on for a 6-4, 7-6(5) win at No. 4 singles. At No. 2 spot, Tomasetti earned a 7-6(2) tiebreak win in the first set against Middel and went on to win the point with a 6-1 second set victory.

"All three matches were very well played," Reeves said. "I think there's a couple of little adjustments that needed to be made and committed too, and it might've been a different story."

With the match being decided at Nos. 5 and 6 singles, the Lumberjacks took an early advantage winning the opening set in both matches. Montana State seniors Brycki and Wanda Holopainen fought back to capture the second sets, including a 7-5 tiebreak for Holopainen at No. 6.

NAU's Marta Lewandowska went on to clinch the match with a 6-2 win in the third set at No. 5 singles, while Wanda Holopainen closed the final score to 4-3 with a 6-2 victory over Hailey Rochin.

"It could've easily been 4-3 us or at the same time 5-2 for either team," Reeves said. "It was tight all the way across the board. We knew we were facing the best team in the conference, in my opinion, over the last two years, and if we did the right things, it would be a match that they would never forget because it was a match played at the highest level, and I think that happened."

The Bobcats will travel to Eastern Washington and Idaho next weekend to conclude regular-season play.

Northern Arizona 4, Montana State 3

Singles:
1. GOYETTE, Chloe (MSU) def. Hanneke Lodewijks (NAU) 6-1, 6-3
2. Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) def. MIDDEL, Laura (MSU) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
3. Blanka Szavay (NAU) def. HOLOPAINEN, Naomi (MSU) 7-5, 6-3
4. Brandy Walker (NAU) def. PHILIPPOVA, Angelina (MSU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Marta Lewandowska (NAU) def. BRYCKI, Jessica (MSU) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2
6. HOLOPAINEN, Wanda (MSU) def. Hailey Rochin (NAU) 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2

Doubles:
1. GOYETTE, Chloe/MIDDEL, Laura (MSU) def. Blanka Szavay/Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) 6-1
2. BRYCKI, Jessica/HOLOPAINEN, Naomi (MSU) def. Hanneke Lodewijks/Brandy Walker (NAU) 7-6 (7-1)
3. Marta Lewandowska/Hailey Rochin (NAU) def. HOLOPAINEN, Wanda/PHILIPPOVA, Angelina (MSU) 6-3