Sunday, January 15
Bozeman
9:00 am
Montana State University
vs
North Dakota
Nejc Sitar
Photo by: Big Sky Conference
Bobcat Men's Tennis Team Opens 2023 Season at Home on Sunday
1/13/2023 1:46:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MSU hosts North Dakota at 9 am in Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center
BOZEMAN, Montana – After a summer and fall of transitions, the Montana State men's tennis program begins its journey through the team competition portion of its season on Sunday when the Bobcats open the 2023 season by hosting North Dakota in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.
Match time is 9 am. Sunday's match is the season opener for Montana State, while the Fighting Hawks play at the University of Montana on Saturday.
First-year head coach Rob Bareford appreciates his team's mindset as it begins defense of a Big Sky Co-Championship captured a year ago. "It's a hungry team," Bareford said. "They want to win, they want to get better, and they want to win championships. That's what I expected, and that's what I hoped for."
Four mainstays of the 2022 singles lineup return this year, led by First Team All-Big Sky choice Matej Panik. Nejc Sitar, first team all-league doubles choice Jamieson Nathan and Bradley Buckland also return.
UND finished 2022 with a 12-9 record, and also returns most of last season's lineup. Summit League coaches tabbed North Dakota third in that conference's preseason poll, with junior Cian McDonnell earning recognition on the preseason watch list.
Bareford said the focus throughout the fall was internal, and that remains the case as the calendar flips to January. "The most challenging part for any coach inheriting a group of guys, a group of veterans, is trying to get them to buy into what you're preaching and the new culture," he said. "That's always the challenge, so trying to get them on the same page and to understand that coaches have different ways of doing things and a new way of going about things."
While Bareford said "we had some good competition in the fall," he also said the team was forced to work through "nagging injuries. "That was a little challenging, but we made it through and we got to see all the guys' games and playing styles and we got a little better."
After Sunday's match, the Bobcats head to Oklahoma for three contests. MSU plays at Oral Roberts on January 19, at Tulsa on January 20, and at Oklahoma on January 22.
#GoCatsGo
Match time is 9 am. Sunday's match is the season opener for Montana State, while the Fighting Hawks play at the University of Montana on Saturday.
First-year head coach Rob Bareford appreciates his team's mindset as it begins defense of a Big Sky Co-Championship captured a year ago. "It's a hungry team," Bareford said. "They want to win, they want to get better, and they want to win championships. That's what I expected, and that's what I hoped for."
Four mainstays of the 2022 singles lineup return this year, led by First Team All-Big Sky choice Matej Panik. Nejc Sitar, first team all-league doubles choice Jamieson Nathan and Bradley Buckland also return.
UND finished 2022 with a 12-9 record, and also returns most of last season's lineup. Summit League coaches tabbed North Dakota third in that conference's preseason poll, with junior Cian McDonnell earning recognition on the preseason watch list.
Bareford said the focus throughout the fall was internal, and that remains the case as the calendar flips to January. "The most challenging part for any coach inheriting a group of guys, a group of veterans, is trying to get them to buy into what you're preaching and the new culture," he said. "That's always the challenge, so trying to get them on the same page and to understand that coaches have different ways of doing things and a new way of going about things."
While Bareford said "we had some good competition in the fall," he also said the team was forced to work through "nagging injuries. "That was a little challenging, but we made it through and we got to see all the guys' games and playing styles and we got a little better."
After Sunday's match, the Bobcats head to Oklahoma for three contests. MSU plays at Oral Roberts on January 19, at Tulsa on January 20, and at Oklahoma on January 22.
#GoCatsGo
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