Saturday, March 7
Bozeman, MT
12 noon
Montana State University
vs
Portland State
Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
Bobcat Men's Tennis Team Opens Big Sky Play Saturday at 12 Noon
3/6/2020 4:18:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Surging Portland State visits Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center
BOZEMAN, Montana – The Montana State men's tennis team begins Big Sky play at home this weekend, hosting a pair of important early-season matches in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.
The Cats host Portland State on Saturday at 12 noon. The Vikings ride a wave of success into the weekend, both this season and in recent years. The PSU men's tennis program began in 2008, but didn't qualify for its first Big Sky Tournament until 2018. That coincided with the program's first winning Big Sky record in its history, a 6-5 mark that included only its third win against the Bobcats in 13 tries. In 2020, PSU is 4-3 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky play. PSU owns league wins over Southern Utah and defending Big Sky champ Northern Arizona. Three Vikings enter weekend play with 4-3 records – Nikola Dimitrijevic, Tommy Edwards and Sam Roberts.
"Portland State beat NAU, who won the conference last year, so that's a team everyone's judging themselves off of, I think," Morris said. "Taking NAU down opened a lot of peoples' eyes in the conference. We expect a really tough battle against Portland State. They're a quality opponent and I think it will be an exciting match."
Northern Colorado arrives for a 10 am Sunday match with a 4-6 record, 1-1 in the conference. MSU is 12-2 all-time against UNC, but a year ago in Greeley the Bears snapped a six-match Bobcat win streak in the series. Reigning Big Sky Player of the Week Thomas Pudney is 8-1 on the season playing in the lower four ladder spots. John Giesberts is 5-4 in time split between the fourth and fifth spots on the ladder, while No. 1 Kyle Pease and Julian Kenzlers, who has played both No. 2 and No. 3, are both 5-5.
"Northern Colorado is coming off of wins over Eastern Washington and Seattle," Morris said, "so coming off of a 2-0 weekend I think they'll be feeling good. That is a team that brings a high level of passion for the sport so every time you play them you know you're going to get their best. It's a team one-through-six (in singles) that is pretty even, so guys lower in the lineup it'll be a battle."
As Montana State plays its first league matches of the season the team stands 4-3 with the bulk of its non-league slate in the rear view mirror. MSU split a pair of 4-3 matches last weekend, falling to Mountain West foe Air Force but beating strong Division II entry Metro State. The Cats also topped CSU Pueblo, another Division II opponent.
Morris is pleased with where his team stands in singles play. "We're really, really strong right now in singles," he said. "We had a couple of hiccups where we didn't necessarily play our best tennis against Boise State and Utah, who are really good teams, but we weren't where we needed to be. After the last weekend, getting more matches, I think we've shown we're a quality lineup. I never feel there's a match we can't win in singles."
A full week of practice, Morris said, should benefit his team in doubles play. The Bobcats have won the doubles point only twice in seven matches this season, but that remains a program priority. "We're note returning (serve) well, that's where we need to improve," Morris said, with altering his players' return location a point of emphasis. "We're not quite returning at the level we need to, but we're making that adjustment."
#GoCatsGo
The Cats host Portland State on Saturday at 12 noon. The Vikings ride a wave of success into the weekend, both this season and in recent years. The PSU men's tennis program began in 2008, but didn't qualify for its first Big Sky Tournament until 2018. That coincided with the program's first winning Big Sky record in its history, a 6-5 mark that included only its third win against the Bobcats in 13 tries. In 2020, PSU is 4-3 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky play. PSU owns league wins over Southern Utah and defending Big Sky champ Northern Arizona. Three Vikings enter weekend play with 4-3 records – Nikola Dimitrijevic, Tommy Edwards and Sam Roberts.
"Portland State beat NAU, who won the conference last year, so that's a team everyone's judging themselves off of, I think," Morris said. "Taking NAU down opened a lot of peoples' eyes in the conference. We expect a really tough battle against Portland State. They're a quality opponent and I think it will be an exciting match."
Northern Colorado arrives for a 10 am Sunday match with a 4-6 record, 1-1 in the conference. MSU is 12-2 all-time against UNC, but a year ago in Greeley the Bears snapped a six-match Bobcat win streak in the series. Reigning Big Sky Player of the Week Thomas Pudney is 8-1 on the season playing in the lower four ladder spots. John Giesberts is 5-4 in time split between the fourth and fifth spots on the ladder, while No. 1 Kyle Pease and Julian Kenzlers, who has played both No. 2 and No. 3, are both 5-5.
"Northern Colorado is coming off of wins over Eastern Washington and Seattle," Morris said, "so coming off of a 2-0 weekend I think they'll be feeling good. That is a team that brings a high level of passion for the sport so every time you play them you know you're going to get their best. It's a team one-through-six (in singles) that is pretty even, so guys lower in the lineup it'll be a battle."
As Montana State plays its first league matches of the season the team stands 4-3 with the bulk of its non-league slate in the rear view mirror. MSU split a pair of 4-3 matches last weekend, falling to Mountain West foe Air Force but beating strong Division II entry Metro State. The Cats also topped CSU Pueblo, another Division II opponent.
Morris is pleased with where his team stands in singles play. "We're really, really strong right now in singles," he said. "We had a couple of hiccups where we didn't necessarily play our best tennis against Boise State and Utah, who are really good teams, but we weren't where we needed to be. After the last weekend, getting more matches, I think we've shown we're a quality lineup. I never feel there's a match we can't win in singles."
A full week of practice, Morris said, should benefit his team in doubles play. The Bobcats have won the doubles point only twice in seven matches this season, but that remains a program priority. "We're note returning (serve) well, that's where we need to improve," Morris said, with altering his players' return location a point of emphasis. "We're not quite returning at the level we need to, but we're making that adjustment."
#GoCatsGo
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