Friday, February 14
Grand Forks, ND
1 p.m. (MT)
Montana State University
4
at
3
North Dakota
Hudson Hawkins
Photo by: Brian Morse
Hawkins Epic Comeback Lifts Bobcats Past UND
2/14/2025 6:17:00 PM | Women's Tennis
“When she was down 5-1, she came over to me and said, ‘I got this coach.’ You could just feel her confidence and she had the belief she was going to win.”
Montana State's Hudson Hawkins fought back from an almost insurmountable deficit to post a 7-6 win at No. 5 singles to give the Bobcats a 4-3 win over former Big Sky foe North Dakota on Friday afternoon at Choice Health and Fitness.
With the match even at 3-3 and Hawkins trailing 5-1 in the decisive third set, the product of Las Vegas, Nev., dug deep rattling off five consecutive games to stake a 6-5 advantage. UND's Aziza Aubin answered winning the next set to force a tiebreaking game to decide the match.
Hawkins got out to a 3-1 lead in the seven-point tiebreaker, before Aziza went on a 3-0 run to take a 4-3 cushion. Hawkins used a big serve and a strong forehand to claim the next four points, giving the Bobcats its third consecutive win.
"Hudson has a championship mentality," said MSU head coach Suzie Woodburn. "When she was down 5-1, she came over to me and said, 'I got this coach.' You could just feel her confidence and she had the belief she was going to win."
Montana State (4-3) had to fight off two set points at No. 3 doubles as its tandem of Nia Gelashvili and Kavya Khirwar rallied for a 7-6(2) victory, giving MSU its first point of the match. Jojo Bach and Meg McCarty combined at No. 1 for a 6-3 decision over Aubin and Ethel Li to put the Bobcats in position to capture the opening point.
"That was the first time Kavya and Nia had played together and for them to pull out the win was huge," Woodburn said. "This was a great team win against a very strong North Dakota program."
North Dakota (4-2) tied the match at one-all winning at No. 3 singles, before MSU's one-two punch of Marta Garcia-Reboredo and McCarty won consecutive three-set contests at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, to put the Bobcats within a point of the win.
Garcia-Reboredo fought back from an opening set loss to notch a 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 win over Andrea Pineda. Garcia-Reboredo trailed 3-0 to open the third, before going on a 6-1 run. McCarthy also went the distance posting a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Jule Schulte.
Leading 3-1, the Fighting Hawks registered wins at Nos. 4 and 6 on the ladder to even the match, setting up Hawkins' heroics.
"It took everyone," Woodburn said. "We keep working hard, trusting in our tennis and we found ways to win. It was a battle, but after we made some adjustments, it became a great college tennis match. And we're proud to get the win."
MSU faces Northern Iowa on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. (MT) in Grand Forks.
Montana State 4, North Dakota 3
Singles:
With the match even at 3-3 and Hawkins trailing 5-1 in the decisive third set, the product of Las Vegas, Nev., dug deep rattling off five consecutive games to stake a 6-5 advantage. UND's Aziza Aubin answered winning the next set to force a tiebreaking game to decide the match.
Hawkins got out to a 3-1 lead in the seven-point tiebreaker, before Aziza went on a 3-0 run to take a 4-3 cushion. Hawkins used a big serve and a strong forehand to claim the next four points, giving the Bobcats its third consecutive win.
"Hudson has a championship mentality," said MSU head coach Suzie Woodburn. "When she was down 5-1, she came over to me and said, 'I got this coach.' You could just feel her confidence and she had the belief she was going to win."
Montana State (4-3) had to fight off two set points at No. 3 doubles as its tandem of Nia Gelashvili and Kavya Khirwar rallied for a 7-6(2) victory, giving MSU its first point of the match. Jojo Bach and Meg McCarty combined at No. 1 for a 6-3 decision over Aubin and Ethel Li to put the Bobcats in position to capture the opening point.
"That was the first time Kavya and Nia had played together and for them to pull out the win was huge," Woodburn said. "This was a great team win against a very strong North Dakota program."
North Dakota (4-2) tied the match at one-all winning at No. 3 singles, before MSU's one-two punch of Marta Garcia-Reboredo and McCarty won consecutive three-set contests at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, to put the Bobcats within a point of the win.
Garcia-Reboredo fought back from an opening set loss to notch a 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 win over Andrea Pineda. Garcia-Reboredo trailed 3-0 to open the third, before going on a 6-1 run. McCarthy also went the distance posting a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Jule Schulte.
Leading 3-1, the Fighting Hawks registered wins at Nos. 4 and 6 on the ladder to even the match, setting up Hawkins' heroics.
"It took everyone," Woodburn said. "We keep working hard, trusting in our tennis and we found ways to win. It was a battle, but after we made some adjustments, it became a great college tennis match. And we're proud to get the win."
MSU faces Northern Iowa on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. (MT) in Grand Forks.
Montana State 4, North Dakota 3
Singles:
- Marta Garcia-Reboredo (MSU) d. Andrea Pineda, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4
- Meg McCarty (MSU) d. Jule Schulte, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
- Ethel Li (UND) d. Jojo Bach, 6-3, 6-3
- Nore Heinitz (UND) d. Nia Gelashvili, 7-6(6), 6-3
- Hudson Hawkins (MSU) d. Aziza Aubin, 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(4)
- Alyssa Giupponi (UND) d. Andrea Cuquerella, 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-2
- Bach/McCarty (MSU) d. Aubin/Li, 6-3
- Heinitz/Schulte (UND) d. Garcia-Reboredo/Hawkins, 6-2
- Gelashvili/Kavya Khirwar (MSU) d. Giupponi/Pineda, 7-6(2)
Players Mentioned
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