BOX SCORE - PDF | HTMLGOLD RIVER, Calif. — The Portland State women's tennis team battled regular-season Big Sky-champion Montana in their semifinal match at the Big Sky Championships Saturday, but the top-seeded Grizzlies got by the fourth-seeded Vikings, 4-1, at the Gold River Racquet Club.
The loss in the semifinals eliminates the Vikings (10-7, 6-3 Big Sky) from the tournament, and ends the Vikings' most successful season in program history.
The Vikings fought the Grizzlies (16-7, 9-0 Big Sky) throughout the match Saturday, especially in doubles, where the teams split their matches at lines two and three, and then engaged in a tight battle at No. 1. With the doubles point on the line, PSU juniors
Dané Vorster and
Megan Govi were tied 7-7 with the Grizzlies' Haley Driver and Precious Gbadamosi at No. 1, before Driver and Gbadamosi stole the final two games to win 9-7.
Driver and Gbadamosi's win clinched the doubles point for the Grizzlies, after the Grizzlies' Laurence Pelchat and Sasha Carter beat PSU senior
Marina Todd and freshman
Sabina-Elena Preda 8-5 at No. 2. Pelchat and Carter put the Grizzlies up 1-0 within the race for the doubles point, but PSU junior
Alexa McDonald and sophomore
Ayaka Terakawa evened things with an 8-5 win over the Grizzlies' Anabel Carbo Estruch and Ashley Mackey at No. 3, setting up the deciding match at No. 1.
The Vikings had been 7-0 against Big Sky teams when they won the doubles point this season, making the loss in doubles tough to handle going into singles.
The Grizzlies quickly extended their lead with wins at No. 3 and 6 singles, too, putting them up 3-0. Carter beat Preda 6-3, 6-1 to open singles at No. 3, while Maddy Murray followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Terakawa at No. 6 to put the Grizzlies on the verge of clinching the dual.
The Vikings started working themselves back in the match from there, however, starting with Vorster's 6-4, 6-4 win over Driver at No. 1 that brought the Vikings within two at 3-1.
Additionally, Todd and Govi took their matches at No. 2 and 4 singles to three sets, respectively, raising the prospect of a Vikings comeback. The Grizzlies' Ashley Mackey followed with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over McDonald at No. 5 singles, however, closing out the dual for the Grizzlies.
The loss halts the Vikings season just short of the Big Sky Championship finals, but not before the team set several program records during the year. The Vikings' 10-7 overall record set a program record for overall win percentage, while the Vikings also set record for Big Sky wins (6) and conference win percentage (.667) this season. Govi also became the all-time singles wins leader during the season, and, along with Vorster, broke her own record for single-season Big Sky doubles wins. Additionally, Todd became the Vikings' all-time wins leader at No. 2 singles this season.
The Vikings will return five of their six active players this season to next year's team, too, when they will have three seniors in McDonald, Govi and Vorster. Those three and the rest of the Vikings will return to action for tournament play in the fall.
Montana 4, Portland State 1
Apr 26, 2014 at Gold River, Calif. (Gold River Racquet Club) | Singles competition |
| 1. VORSTER, Dane (PSU) def. DRIVER, Haley (UM) 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2. TODD, Marina (PSU) vs. GBADAMOSI, Precious (UM) no result |
| 3. CARTER, Sasha (UM) def. PREDA, Sabina-Elena (PSU) 6-3, 6-1 |
| 4. GOVI, Megan (PSU) vs. PELCHAT, Laurence (UM) no result |
| 5. MACKEY, Ashley (UM) def. MCDONALD, Alexa (PSU) 6-1, 6-3 |
| 6. MURRAY, Maddy (UM) def. TERAKAWA, Ayaka (PSU) 6-2, 6-2 |
| Doubles competition |
| 1. DRIVER, Haley/GBADAMOSI, Precious (UM) def. VORSTER, Dane/GOVI, Megan (PSU) 9-7 |
| 2. PELCHAT, Laurence/CARTER, Sasha (UM) def. TODD, Marina/PREDA, Sabina-Elena (PSU) 8-5 |
| 3. MCDONALD, Alexa/TERAKAWA, Ayaka (PSU) def. CARBO ESTRUCH, A./MACKEY, Ashley (UM) 8-5 |
| Match Notes |
| Portland State 10-7, 6-3 |
| Montana 16-7, 9-0 |
| Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,6,1,5) |
