Bobcats Come From Behind to Beat Griz in Women's Tennis Sunday

Sunday, February 13

BOZEMAN

10 a.m.

Montana State University

Montana

Photo by: Jack Murrey

Bobcats Come From Behind to Beat Griz in Women's Tennis Sunday

2/13/2022 5:07:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

MSU fell behind 3-1 but rallied for a 4-3 victory

By: Bill Lamberty

BOZEMAN, Montana – Down a set and trailing 4-1 in the second, with leg cramps setting in, Montana State sophomore Jazmin Lerman never lost her motivation.

"These people right here," she said, motioning to her ecstatic teammates after the Bobcat women's tennis team came from behind to beat arch-rival Montana 4-3 in Bozeman on Sunday. "It's what you come to college for, to be with your best friends and play tennis and to try to beat your most important opponent."

Lerman helped seal MSU's win by doing all those things in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center, but proved to be an uphill climb. After losing a first set tie-breaker 7-5, Lerman fell behind Montana's Alex Walker in the second set 4-1.

"I asked (Lerman), 'Do you need something to eat or drink, this is going to an all-day match,'" Bobcat coach Jon Reeves said of that moment. "After she got to 4-2 she said, 'I'm starting to cramp up.'"

The physical issues barely offered a speed bump. Lerman won the second set 6-4, and after the deciding set stayed on serve for three games Lerman used a devastating ace to break serve in game four for a 4-1 lead. After Walker held serve to bring the score to 4-2, Lerman held for a 5-2 lead and broke to win the match.

Lerman appeared to gain steam after her physical issues in the middle of the match. "I felt stronger in my (game) and mentally," she said. "But not physically. My team built me up and made me feel stronger."

While Lerman;, from Buenos Air4es, Argentina, provided the clinching fireworks, important work was done at No. 5 singles by JJ Chen. With the Bobcats trailing 3-2 in the team competition, Chen beat Ivayla Mitkova 7-5, 6-4 to draw the teams even.

Montana State opened play on Sunday at a disadvantage, with normal starter Felicia Jayasaputra sidelined by injury. Still, MSU swept to three doubles victories to capture the doubles point. Montana won at No. 2, No.3 and No. 4 singles, though, to take a 3-1 lead. That set the stage for Chen's hard-fought win and Lerman's heroics.

Reeves said that mid-match tactical changes aided Lerman. "When she was down 4-1 (in the second set) we made some adjustments, and she executed them perfectly. We talk about that and practice it, but it was still very brave of her to trust that and stay with it the rest of the match."

Reeves credited his team for rallying to fill the lineup vacancy created by injury, but said it's nothing new for his team. "We've played 11 matches and we haven't had our full team together yet," he said. "We keep having to bridge gaps because of injury, and we keep having people step up."

The stepping up actually began during the week. "We've just been lost in doubles with all the turnover and lineup changes (early in the season)," Reeves said. "So we found something this week that the kids understood and believed in, and that really helped."

The Bobcats stormed to the doubles point, with Mirte Van Baelen and Marta Garcia-Reboredo winning 6-2 ant No. 1 and Lerman teaming with Maria Villarejo to take a 6-3 win at No. 3. With the point clinched, Chen and Andrew Cuquerella fought to a 7-6 (7-5) win at No. 2.

Reeves said during the week, and after Sunday's win, that he expected the kind of match that transpired. "Every time," he said. "This is always a close match."

The focus, he said, was to give his players the best opportunity to execute the game plan and ensuing adjustments. "We worked this week to get them in a place where they could focus on being in the right position to hit quality balls. And they did a great job."

Montana State raised its record to 4-7 overall with the Big Sky-opening win over the Grizzlies. UM is no 3-3 on the season, 0-1 in the league. The Cats head to Texas next week, playing at Tarleton State on Friday at 2 pm and against UT-Rio Grande Valley in Stephenville, Texas, on Saturday at 10 am.

Montana State 4, Montana 3
2-13-22 at Bozeman, Montana (Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center)

SINGLES
1. HAUGEN, Grace (UM) def. GARCIA-REBOREDO, M. (MSU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
2. OOSTERBAAN, Olivia (UM) def. VAN BAELEN, Mirte (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
3. CUQUERELLA, Andrea (MSU) def. DUNLAP, Lauren (UM) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
4. GOHEEN, Maria (UM) def. VILLAREJO, Maria (MSU) 6-4, 6-2
5. CHEN, JJ (MSU) def. MITKOVA, Ivayla (UM) 7-5, 6-4
6. LERMAN, Jazmin (MSU) def. WALKER, Alex (UM) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2

DOUBLES
1. VAN BAELEN, Mirte/GARCIA-REBOREDO, M. (MSU) def. DUNLAP, Lauren/HAUGEN, Grace (UM) 6-2
2. CHEN, JJ/CUQUERELLA, Andrea (MSU) def. OOSTERBAAN, Olivia/STERK, Rosie (UM) 7-6 (7-5)
3. LERMAN, Jazmin/VILLAREJO, Maria (MSU) def. GOHEEN, Maria/MITKOVA, Ivayla (UM) 6-3

Records: Montana 3-3/0-1 Big Sky, Montana State 4-7/1-0 Big Sky
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,4,3,1,5,6)
Time-5:41 Attendance-75