Nejc Sitar
Photo by: Big Sky Conference
ON TO THE TITLE TILT: Montana State Men's Tennis Edges NAU 4-3 for Berth in Big Sky Championship Match Against Idaho
4/29/2022 2:58:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Bobcats face Vandals on Saturday at 9 am MDT
BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State junior Nejc Sitar rifled a winner to the forehand side of Northern Arizona's Alex Groves to seal the second-seeded Bobcats' 4-3 win in the 2022 Big Sky Conference Men's Tennis Semifinals on Saturday in Phoenix.
The victory, on the strength of Sitar's 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in at No. 5 singles, propels the Bobcats into the Big Sky Conference Championship Match for the first time since 2006, when MSU beat Montana 4-0 to win its third straight title. The Cats play Idaho at 9 am MDT on Saturday at the Phoenix Tennis Center.
Sitar's win capped a crazy day of comebacks. Sitar and Matej Panik, playing at No. 2 singles, each dropped the first set before rallying to capture the next two. The Bobcats also dropped the first doubles result of the day at No. 3 before the top two teams rallied for wins.
Sitar said his game plan didn't change after dropping his first set in singles, but his aggression did. "I kept playing the same game (in terms of) my style," Sitar said, "however in the first set I was hesitant. I didn't really trust my shot. (Groves) hit good passing shots, and I wasn't being aggressive."
Third-year Bobcat coach Trey Morris helped direct Sitar through the early struggles."After that first set I told coach (Trey Morris), 'I'm missing everything,'" Sitar said. "He told me, 'Just trust yourself and be aggressive.'"
The day began with an exhilarating Bobcat win in the doubles point. After MSU dropped the match at the No. 3 spot, Montana State's two remaining teams played with their backs to the wall. Sitar and Daan Van Dijk came broke serve at 5-4 then held to win at No. 2. Moments later, Matej Panik and Jamieson Nathan followed a similar script to win 7-5 at No. 1.
Leading the team scoring 1-0, the Bobcats immediately fell behind on four of the six singles courts. In quick succession, NAU's Dani Torres earned a 6-1, 6-2 decision over Joaquin Espinoza at No. 6 singles, Bobcat Brad Buckland grabbed a quick 6-1, 7-5 win at No. 4, then NAU's Dominik Buzonics took a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3 to tie the team score at 2-2.
At No. 1 singles, Lumberjack Eban Straker-Meads took a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Dann Van Dijk, pushing NAU to within one point of returning to its third straight league title match. But after dropping the first set 7-5 to Facundo Tumosa, Panik fought back. He took the second set 6-3 then broke serve at 4-4 in the third and held to clinch the match.
The victory, on the strength of Sitar's 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in at No. 5 singles, propels the Bobcats into the Big Sky Conference Championship Match for the first time since 2006, when MSU beat Montana 4-0 to win its third straight title. The Cats play Idaho at 9 am MDT on Saturday at the Phoenix Tennis Center.
Sitar's win capped a crazy day of comebacks. Sitar and Matej Panik, playing at No. 2 singles, each dropped the first set before rallying to capture the next two. The Bobcats also dropped the first doubles result of the day at No. 3 before the top two teams rallied for wins.
Sitar said his game plan didn't change after dropping his first set in singles, but his aggression did. "I kept playing the same game (in terms of) my style," Sitar said, "however in the first set I was hesitant. I didn't really trust my shot. (Groves) hit good passing shots, and I wasn't being aggressive."
Third-year Bobcat coach Trey Morris helped direct Sitar through the early struggles."After that first set I told coach (Trey Morris), 'I'm missing everything,'" Sitar said. "He told me, 'Just trust yourself and be aggressive.'"
The day began with an exhilarating Bobcat win in the doubles point. After MSU dropped the match at the No. 3 spot, Montana State's two remaining teams played with their backs to the wall. Sitar and Daan Van Dijk came broke serve at 5-4 then held to win at No. 2. Moments later, Matej Panik and Jamieson Nathan followed a similar script to win 7-5 at No. 1.
Leading the team scoring 1-0, the Bobcats immediately fell behind on four of the six singles courts. In quick succession, NAU's Dani Torres earned a 6-1, 6-2 decision over Joaquin Espinoza at No. 6 singles, Bobcat Brad Buckland grabbed a quick 6-1, 7-5 win at No. 4, then NAU's Dominik Buzonics took a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3 to tie the team score at 2-2.
At No. 1 singles, Lumberjack Eban Straker-Meads took a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Dann Van Dijk, pushing NAU to within one point of returning to its third straight league title match. But after dropping the first set 7-5 to Facundo Tumosa, Panik fought back. He took the second set 6-3 then broke serve at 4-4 in the third and held to clinch the match.
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