Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Montana
Tennis recap: Resilient CSU outlasts Montana, 4-3
2/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 7, 2010
By Justin Warren
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Sophomore Lauren Mulhern battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the deciding set, earning the last five points to clinch a tight 4-3 victory for the Colorado State tennis team Sunday afternoon against the Montana Grizzles at Miramont Lifestyle Fitness South.
The Rams (2-1, 0-0 Mountain West) have now won two consecutive matches during their three-match homestand that concludes Saturday against Northern Arizona after falling to Denver in their first matchup of the season. Montana falls to 1-3 (0-0 Big Sky).
“We are glad we won, but I felt in a lot of ways we got outplayed,” Head Coach Jon Messick said. “I felt Montana outhustled us, played hard, had a great intensity and I thought we could have done a better job. We are glad we won, but we figured out we have some things to work on.”
Mulhern faced Montana’s Lauren Gibson at the No. 5 position, defeating Gibson in the first set 6-0. Gibson tied the match with a 6-4 victory in Set 2, then began the third set up 3-1. But Mulhern showed the resiliency CSU displayed all day, battling back to clinch the set, match and team victory with the final point, 6-3.
Doubles play began with senior Laura Neal and junior Caitlin Fluegge playing in the No. 1 position against Rebecca Bran and Heather Davidson of Montana. Neal and Fluegge found themselves down 1-6 early in the matchup, but fought back to bring the match to 4-6. But it wasn’t enough as Bran and Davidson earned the victory, 8-4.
At the No. 3 doubles position, sophomore Tori Arneson and senior Kirsten Stople tied the doubles matchup at 1-1 after scoring six consecutive points and defeating Montana’s Constance Alexander and Cara Lehman, 8-5.
Mulhern and sophomore Veronika Wojakowska battled back from a 1-5 deficit but fell to Amanda Bran and Gibson, 9-8, at the No. 2 doubles position, giving Montana the doubles point.
Fluegge earned the first singles victory of the match for the Rams, tying the team score 1-1 at the No. 3 singles position, playing against Amanda Bran of Montana. Fluegge defeated Amanda Bran in two sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Montana pulled ahead of CSU, 2-1, with Rebecca Bran’s hard-fought victory over Neal at the No. 1 singles position. Rebecca Bran went up 4-1 on Neal, but Neal battled her way back to a 3-4 score before Bran took the first set, 6-4. Neal began the second set going up 5-2, but Bran tied the match at 6-6, and then earned the singles point defeating Neal, 7-6, in a tiebreaker.
Wojakowska tied the match at 2-2 with her three-set victory over Montana’s Davidson, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, at the No. 4 singles position, but a loss by Arneson at the No. 2 singles position put Montana back up in the match, 3-2. Arneson faced Alexander, losing in the first set, 4-6, but winning the second set, 6-4. Arneson lost a close third set, battling back from a 2-5 deficit, but fell 4-6 in a deuce when her final shot went an inch too long.
At the No. 6 singles position, junior Melissa Holzinger tied the team score at 3-3 with a quick two-set victory over Lehman, 6-2, 6-4.
CSU will conclude its three-match homestand Saturday against Northern Arizona at Miramont Lifestyle Fitness South. Admission is free and first serve is a 5 p.m.
Sunday’s Results
Singles
No. 1: Rebecca Bran (Montana) def. Laura Neal (CSU), 4-6, 6-7 (2)
No. 2: Constance Alexander (Montana) def. Tori Arneson (CSU), 4-6, 6-4, 4-6
No. 3: Caitlin Fluegge (CSU) def. Amanda Bran (Montana), 6-4, 6-4
No. 4: Veronika Wojakowska (CSU) def. Heather Davidson (Montana), 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
No. 5: Lauren Mulhern (CSU) def. Lauren Gibson (Montana), 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
No. 6: Melissa Holzinger (CSU) def. Cara Lehman (Montana), 6-2, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1: Rebecca Bran/Davidson (Montana) def. Fluegge/Neal (CSU), 8-4
No. 2: Amanda Bran/Gibson (Montana) def. Mulhern/Wojakowska (CSU), 9-8
No. 3: Arneson/Holzinger (CSU) def. Alexander/Lehman (Montana), 8-5
