Bobcats End Thirteen Match Drought with Win over Northern Arizona

Friday, April 5

BOZEMAN

10 a.m.

Montana State University

Northern Arizona

Freshman Paula Doughrty posted a crucial 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles to help the Bobcats to a 4-3 victory over Northern Arizona on Friday afternoon.

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

Bobcats End Thirteen Match Drought with Win over Northern Arizona

4/5/2024 5:01:00 PM | Women's Tennis

“We’ve really been working hard on our doubles and trusting ourselves in the big moments,” said MSU head coach Suzie Woodburn. “We played an aggressive style of doubles; we took our time, and we closed out the point playing our tennis.”

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State captured the first point of its match against Northern Arizona in a double's tiebreaker, before earning three singles victories – all coming from freshmen – en route to a 4-3 victory over the Lumberjacks on Friday afternoon in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.

The win snapped Montana State's (11-5, 2-3) 13-match losing streak to Northern Arizona (5-12, 2-5). MSU's last win over the Lumberjacks was a 5-2 decision on April 10, 2009.

Northern Arizona opened doubles play with a 6-2 win at the No. 2 spot, before MSU's top tandem of Marta Garcia-Reboredo and Hudson Hawkins notched a 6-3 win. The Bobcat duo remained undefeated in Big Sky Conference play and has claimed eight of its last nine matches.

MSU's No. 3 pairing of Andrea Cuquerella and Paula Dougherty trailed 4-1 in the early going of its set and rallied to even the contest at six-all, forcing a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, the Bobcats got out to a 4-0 lead and owned a 6-3 cushion following an NAU double fault. After the Lumberjacks fended off two set points, Dougherty put an exclamation mark on a long rally with a winner down the line giving MSU a 7-4 decision and the first point of the match.

"We've really been working hard on our doubles and trusting ourselves in the big moments," said MSU head coach Suzie Woodburn. "We played an aggressive style of doubles; we took our time, and we closed out the point playing our tennis."

NAU took the first singles point at No. 4, before the Bobcats responded with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 behind the efforts of freshmen Meg McCarty and Dougherty. McCarty, a Bozeman product, won her first set 6-3 and captured a second set tiebreaker (7-4) to give MSU a 2-1 advantage. Dougherty, a native of Raliegh, N.C. dropped her opening set to Ana Guadiana before dominating a second set tiebreaker 7-0 and the third set 6-2.

Patricia Niewiadomska pulled NAU to within 3-2 coming from behind to defeat Garcia-Reboredo at the top spot 2-6, 6-0 7-6(5). Hawkins clinched the match for the Bobcat at No. 6 singles cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Laura Duhl. Northern Arizona won the last point of the match a No.5.

"We knew it was going to be a real tough battle," Woodburn said. "Everyone believed we could do it. I thought we competed extremely well, even in the losses. We did a nice job of staying in the moment. With a young team, when you get close to the finish line you just need to take a deep breath, trust what you've been doing and commit to it."

Montana State hosts Sacramento State on Sunday at 9 a.m. in the BATC.

Montana State 4, Northern Arizona 3

Singles: