Men’s and Women’s Tennis Get Sweeps

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Montana State Billings tennis teams have saved their best play for the end of the season, as both squads earned sweeps over Colorado Christian and Colorado State University-Pueblo Friday afternoon in Kearney, NE. The men’s team, which is ranked fifth in the central region poll this week, won 9-0 and 9-0 to improve to 6-15 on the season and 3-2 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The women’s team took their matches 9-0 and 8-1 to move to 10-11 overall and 3-2 in RMAC play.

For the men, all six singles players won in straight sets over Colorado Christian, as Travis Lehman had the closest match in his 6-4, 6-4 win over Austin Howell. The number one doubles match with Lehman and Navin Marimuthu taking on Matt Cooper and Logan Moody was the only close match, ending at 8-6.

The Yellowjackets handled CSU-Pueblo in the same fashion, starting off with a 3-0 lead after the doubles matches as Marimuthu and Lehman defeated Ricardo Oaxaca and Elliot Silva 8-6 in the number one spot. Then Franco Valdez and Luis Olivera teamed up in the second pairs to defeat Ivan Pagano and Tom Chavez 8-2, while Brad Knutson and James Catlin won 8-5 over Sean MacIndoe and Gian Poteste.

In singles play, Marimuthu, Valdez and Olivera all won in straight sets in the one, two and three spots. Lehman was tested in the fourth position, needing three sets to defeat Chavez, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6. The Yellowjackets finished the match with strong performances from Delbert Landicho in the fifth spot (6-2, 6-0) and Geoff Fehr in sixth (6-4, 6-1).

On the women’s side, the number one doubles of Rikki Peach and Kim Karlsson won a tough match, 9-8 over Colorado Christians’ Sara Howard and Bronwyn Allmand. Ana Juarez and Lena Macomson defeated Chelsea Snow and Lexy Stevens 8-2, while Beth Ann Baker and Megin Madruga took down Alyssa Johnson and Calli Morgan 8-1.

MSUB controlled singles play as four player’s never surrendered more than one game in a set, winning five of the six matches in straight sets. Karlsson had the toughest match, need three sets to dispose of Allmand, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6.

Against CSU-Pueblo, MSUB jumped out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play, but singles play started rough with a loss at the number one position. Juarez dropped a three set heartbreaker to Morgan Forsyth, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6. The Yellowjackets bounced back to take the next six in straight sets.