Yellowjacket Women’s Tennis Upset Top-Seeded Saint Cloud State, 5-4

SARTELL, Minn. – The Montana State Billings women’s tennis team is going where no MSUB women’s tennis team has gone before.  The Yellowjackets upset top-seeded Saint Cloud State Saturday afternoon, 5-4, at the NCAA Central Regional to advance to the NCAA Championship May 13-16, in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

“The girls are really excited and deserved to win,” head coach Jerry Peach said.  “Today was a hostile environment and it was a long, grueling match that was played by two good teams and we were fortunate to come out on top.”

Playing in what was virtually a road match, the Yellowjackets avenged an early season loss to the Huskies.  MSUB (15-7) knocked off the top-seeded Huskies (26-9) to advance and will now play the winner of UC San Diego vs. Hawaii Pacific, May 13, in the Round of 16.  MSUB dropped a 5-4 decision at Saint Cloud State on Mar. 4.

Peach felt that if his team could win two of the three doubles, they would have some “breathing room” and would set the tone for singles play.  It played out exactly how he predicted.  What he didn’t predict was the match would be five-and-a-half hours.

In doubles, MSUB won at No. 3 as Ling Chan and Anne-Sophie Tredet defeated Kayla Lenz and Tanya Halloran in dominating fashion, 8-2.  The Huskies came back with a win at No. 1 as Kelly Freese and Jacquelyn Doll defeated Johnna Beatty and Ana Juarez, 8-4.

That left No. 2 doubles which was one of most dramatic matches within the match as Bekah Carlson and Hannah Moudree were down 6-0 in a tiebreaker.  SCSU’s Dawn Olson and Kristie Eull needed just one point to win two of the three doubles.  The Yellowjacket duo rattled off six-straight points and won the tiebreaker 9-7 and the crucial second doubles point, 9-8.

The Huskies began doubles play with two wins as Eull and Samantha Boushek won at Nos. 5 and 6 in straight sets over Carlson and Samantha Selstad, respectively. 

MSUB did not panic as it regained the momentum with wins at Nos. 3 and 4 to go up 4-3.  Tredet downed Freese in a close 7-6, 7-5 match at No.3 and Beatty won her match over Lenz in dramatic fashion, winning in a three set tiebreaker, 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).

Saint Cloud State evened the match at four as Doll downed Chan at No. 1 in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.  It was all up to Juarez, who dropped the first set 7-6 (7-2) at No. 2, but responded with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Olsen to capture the Central Region championship.  Her match alone was three hours.

“This is a very special team and we are in there at the end in every match,” Peach added.  “Different people have stepped up at different times throughout the season and Hannah (Moudree) and Bekah (Carlson) were huge in doubles for us.”

Montana State Billings 5, Saint Cloud State 4
Doubles Results
#1 Doubles - Kelly Freese/Jacquelyn Doll (SCSU) def. Johnna Beatty/Anna Juarez (MSUB) 8-4
#2 Doubles - Bekah Carlson/Hannah Moudree (MSUB) def. Dawn Olsen/Krisite Eull (SCSU) 9-8 (9-7)
#3 Doubles - Ling Chan/Anne-Sophie Tredet (MSUB) def. Kayla Lenz/Tanya Halloran (SCSU) 8-2
Singles Results
1st Singles - Jacquelyn Doll (SCSU) def. Ling Chan (MSUB) vs.  4-6, 6-3, 6-3
2nd Singles - Anna Juarez (MSUB) def. Dawn Olsen (SCSU) 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-4
3rd Singles - Anne-Sophie Tredet (MSUB) def. Kelly Freese (SCSU) 7-6, 7-5
4th Singles - Johnna Beatty (MSUB) def. Kayla Lenz (SCSU) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
5th Singles - Kristie Eull (SCSU) def. Bekah Carlson (MSUB) 6-1, 6-0
6th Singles - Samantha Boushek (SCSU) def. Samantha Selstad (MSUB) 6-3, 6-2