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Portland State University Athletics

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Eszter Zador
Larry Lawson
5
Winner Montana UM (1-8/1-0 BSC)
2
Portland State PSU (0-2/0-2 BSC)
Winner
Montana UM
(1-8/1-0 BSC)
5
Final
2
Portland State PSU
(0-2/0-2 BSC)

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | Jackson Wagner

Zador Improves to 2-0 in Viking Loss

Eszter Zador continued her stellar play to start the season and Gerda Upeniece picked up her first win for the Portland State women's tennis team, but the Vikings fell to Montana 5-2 at home in the second Big Sky match of the season.

The Vikings are still trying to get back to full health while looking to build match fitness as well. The two matches this weekend were the first for the Vikings in nearly a month.

In doubles, Montana's top team of Bianca Bostrom and Julia Ronney defeated Nina Nikitovic and Taylor Rees 6-1. On the other two courts, the Vikings rallied to nearly take the doubles point. Alli Valk and Eszter Zador fell in a close match 6-4 that clinched it for the Grizzlies.

Lotti Meszaros and Gerda Upeniece, who started the year with a win yesterday, were trailing 5-4 but not down a break when the doubles point was clinched. Their match went unfinished.

Zador, who won a gritty two-set match yesterday, leveled the dual early on with a quick win at No. 4. She defeated Nathalie Joanlanne 6-1, 6-1, cruising to a 2-0 record on the year and pulling the Vikings even.

"She always competes. She is just an amazing competitor," head coach Jay Sterling said of Zador. "It's why she had great success last year and it is why she will always have success on and off the court in her life. She just handles her business and she's an emotional person but she manages them so well. She has a never-quit attitude and is a great example for everyone to follow."

Montana would score the next four points in singles, however, clinching in the process and dropping the Vikings to 0-2 on the year.

In the final match Gerda Upeniece, who sat out the singles competition against Montana State, made her season debut in emphatic fashion. She came back from down a break in the first set and followed that up with grinding second set for a 7-5, 6-2 win.

It was a big step for the sophomore, who Sterling said is one of the most talented players on the team but has had a hard time transitioning her practice play into live action matches.

"It's been a personal battle that she is fighting inside of her head," Sterling said. "She's been working really hard in practice at just making better choices and playing within herself. She's realizing she doesn't have to try to hit the ball harder than the other person because her ground strokes and power is big enough. Learning to trust herself and play within herself, and believe in herself a little bit, is what she needed to do to be successful and she did that today."

Lotti Meszaros fought hard at the top line in a very close match. She was defeated by Ronney 7-5, 6-4. Nikitovic battled through pain on court two but fell 6-4, 6-3. Montana's Bianca Bostrum defeated Alli Valk 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 and Lidia Dukic defeated Taylor Rees 6-0, 7-5 at No. 5.

The Vikings return to action on March 1 on the road against Idaho State. They will then travel to Ogden, Utah to take on Weber State on March 3.

MATCH NOTES: The Vikings now trail in the all-time series vs. Montana 2-17 … Eszter Zador begins the season 2-0, with both wins coming at No. 4 … Gerda Upeniece is 1-0 on the season.
 
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