Griz off to strong start in Vegas

It’s day two at the ITA Mountain Regional in Las Vegas, and the Montana women’s tennis program still has five of its seven individuals and all three of its doubles teams alive in the winners’ brackets.

The Grizzlies went 3-2 in singles on Wednesday and 2-0 in doubles. Opening-day play at UNLV’s Fertitta Tennis Complex featured the opening round of singles competition and the opening round of doubles.

Montana had two individuals, juniors Sasha Carter and Precious Gbadamosi, receive first-round byes as seeded singles players, and Carter and junior Laurence Pelchat, seeded No. 6, got a bye in the doubles bracket.

Seniors Ashley Mackey and Maddy Murray both had straight-set victories in their first-round singles matches, and they also teamed up to win in doubles.

Mackey downed UNLV’s Alexis Garrett 6-3, 6-2, Murray defeated Northern Colorado’s Chrissie Hoolahan 6-4, 6-4. The seniors defeated Boise State’s Megan Lalone and Bobbi Oshiro 8-5 in doubles.

Junior Haley Driver, competing for the first time this fall, also advanced out of the first round of singles play. She came back to defeat BYU’s Savannah Ware 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.

Montana’s only losses Wednesday came in singles play. Weber State’s Kristi Elmer defeated sophomore Mackenzie Rozell 7-6, 6-2, and BYU’s Mayci Jones topped Pelchat 6-1, 6-2.

Thursday’s schedule has the second round of doubles being contested, as well as the second and third round of singles.

Carter and Gbadamosi will face unseeded Evy Van Genechten of Denver and Tasha Hueffner of Air Force in the second round of singles play. Murray will take on unseeded Denise Van Der Ben of New Mexico State.

Driver and Mackey will both face seeded players in the second round. Driver will take on Utah’s Callie Craig, Mackey will meet Boise State’s Sandy Vo.

In Thursday’s doubles action, Mackey and Murray will play Marcelli Magday and Natasha Rizvi of Air Force, and Carter and Pelchat will play their first match against Sarah Richter and Luisa Gerstner Da Rosa of Utah.

Driver and Gbadamosi, 14-2 together as a doubles team last spring, will have an opportunity to make the biggest news Thursday. They face the region’s No. 2 seed in Wyoming’s Dorottya Jonas and Veronica Popovici.

Ongoing Twitter updates of Montana’s results can be tracked @UMGRIZZLIES_tn. Montana’s Twitter feeds also cycle through the homepage of GoGriz.com.

Montana Sports Information