The Montana State women’s tennis team will play two Big Sky Conference matches this week, traveling to Pocatello to meet Idaho State on Wednesday before returning home for a Friday contest against Northern Arizona, according to a March 31 announcement.
These matchups are important as the Bobcats aim to strengthen their position in conference play. The team will close out its regular season with four consecutive home matches after the trip to Idaho.
Head coach Hailey Barrett said, “We are excited for a great challenge tomorrow against Idaho State. They are a strong team top to bottom and compete hard. We will look to be confident and tough in the big moments and stay consistent with our focus. We’re ready for a great match.”
Montana State enters Wednesday’s game with a 5-9 overall record and is 1-3 in conference play. The Bobcats recently went 2-1 on their last road trip, including wins over Portland State and Seattle University, while dropping one match against Portland. Angel Bean has led the team in singles play with three straight victories on court three.
Idaho State holds an 8-7 overall record (2-2 Big Sky) but is coming off three consecutive losses after previously winning eight straight matches earlier in the season. Historically, Montana State has won six of its last eight meetings against Idaho State; however, both Bengal victories came during the previous season.
Northern Arizona arrives at Bozeman riding a three-match winning streak and stands at 5-5 overall (4-1 Big Sky). The Lumberjacks have been tough opponents for Montana State over recent years, winning 15 of their last 16 encounters since 2010; however, the Bobcats won their most recent meeting at home last May.
Looking ahead, Montana State will host rivals Montana on April 11 before concluding its regular season against Weber State on April 19.
