Short-Handed Bobcats Follow Familiar Script in Thrilling Men's Tennis Win Over NAU

Friday, April 1

Bozeman, MT

3 pm

Montana State University

Northern Arizona

Joaquin Espinoza

Photo by: Jack Murrey

Short-Handed Bobcats Follow Familiar Script in Thrilling Men's Tennis Win Over NAU

4/1/2022 9:25:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

Senior Joaquin Espinoza and freshman Georgios Nouchakis earned big wins to propel MSU

By: Bill Lamberty

BOZEMAN, Montana – Different characters, same script.

Playing without No. 2 singles player Montana State came from behind to earn a 4-3 Big Sky Conference win against Northern Arizona in Bozeman. The victory leaves the 5-0 Bobcats as one of two undefeated teams in Big Sky play, along with the University of Montana (3-0).

The match followed a familiar script, with the Bobcats coming up with match-clinching singles victories at the bottom two ladder spots. "All year long, our five and six guys have really been playing good tennis," Morris said. For us, it's not about who's playing at which spot. Every spot's worth a point, and these guys have taken that mentality. The reality is, we've got a good team with guys that play good tennis at every spot."

With Matej Panik injured the players at the bottom four positions each slid up one spot and freshman Georgios Nouchakis moved into No. 6. Nouchakis dominated NAU's Alex Groves 6-2, 6-1 to tie the team score at 3-3 set up Espinoza's match at No. 5 singles as the match's pivot point.

"For a first-semester freshman to step into that environment, knowing he had to get a win today, and putting on a performance like that says a lot about him and his ability to compete under any situation," Morris said of Nouchakis. "I have full confidence in George coming in whenever he's been called on. And he's been ready."

As he has so many times during his senior season, Espinoza excelled in a crucial situation. "It's focus, I guess, on the situation itself," Espinoza said. "There's so much going on, being 3-2 down (in the team score), we need both (of the last two singles matches), it gets your head so into the match that it makes you grind and leave everything out there. You grind every single ball. We all do that."

The grind was the game when the first set of the No. 5 singles entered a tie-breaker with the score 6-6. Espinoza trailed 6-4 in a situation where the first player to hold a two-point lead at or after seven points is the victor. He said his reaction was what one would expect.

"You're nervous, it's impossible not to be nervous," he said. "But I've been working on first serve, first ball, and ripping that slice that's coming. Trey told me nothing changes, and that works."

Espinoza served to pull himself back into the match at 6-6, and eventually won the set by taking the tie-breaker 10-8. In the second set, up a break at 2-1, Espinoza held serve at 3-1 then broke serve to go to 5-1. He cruised to the 6-1 win, then absorbed the blows as his teammates mobbed him on the court to celebrate the win.

The day began with Northern Arizona taking the doubles point, but Jamieson Nathan captured the No. 2 singles contest to even the score at 1-1. After a loss at No. 3 singles, Daan Van Dijk won a three-set thriller against Facunda Tumosa to pull the Cats even at 2-2. "That was a very good win," Morris said. "Tumosa is an experienced player who's been a huge part of NAU's success, he's been part of three conference championship teams. For Daan to pull that out was huge for us."

An NAU win at No. 4 singles brought Espinoza and Nouchakis onto the court, with each needing to win. Morris said his team's ability to withstand the absence of its No. 2 singles players is emblematic of its path to success this year.

"We've got guys that can play, we've got guys that can win matches at every spot in the lineup, and that's a testament to our entire team being ready and practicing intensely every day," he said. "They're pushing each other every day to get better, and when that happens everyone thrives."

Thriving as his Bobcat career winds down is something Espinoza is enjoying. "I'm having a blast," he said. "In my last season I'm having the best time with all these guys, they're amazing, it's a group thing."

The Bobcats visit Idaho in its next match on April 10, then hosts Sacramento State on April 14 and UM on April 23.

For Morris, though, those matches are in the future. On Friday, the present was plenty sweet. "I'm very proud of this team. It was a great, great win."

#GoCatsGo