Both tennis teams head to Arizona

The University of Montana men’s and women’s tennis teams are heading to the Grand Canyon state this weekend, one of the few weekends this season the two teams will travel together.

The women’s team kicks off the weekend against conference foe Northern Arizona at 11 a.m. Friday. The men’s team faces the Lumberjacks following the women’s match at 3 p.m.

Both teams face Glendale Community College at 12 p.m. on Saturday. 

The UM women are 2-1 in conference thus far this season and 4-9 overall.

Women’s head coach Jen Anderson said the team is poised for a successful April.

“Our girls have been playing really well,” Anderson said.  “For some reason April is our month. I think they are geared up and ready to go.”

The Northern Arizona women are currently second in the Big Sky at 4-1. The Montana women sit one spot behind.

Sophomore Danni Paulson said this weekend is critical in building the team’s confidence.

“Confidence, not only as a team but individually as well, is absolutely huge,” Paulson said. “If we could walk out of Arizona beating (NAU) it would be great for the rest of this month and going into conference.”

Anderson said Montana has what it takes to contend with the elite teams in the conference.

“Just going in and playing well against the No. 2 team is going to help build our confidence,” she said. “Here on out we are playing Big Sky schools, and no match is going to be an easy match.”

The men’s team is 1-2 in conference and 4-4 overall. The Grizzlies currently sit at sixth in the conference, a spot behind fifth-place Northern Arizona.

Head coach Kris Nord said his team needs a win this weekend.

“It will be a challenging match, it is at high altitude and indoors,” Nord said.

Nord said this weekend’s match is just one of many in the highly competitive Big Sky conference.

“It is going to be a battle,” he said. “But all our goals are still within our reach.”

Junior Colin Dektar said a pair of wins this weekend would go a long way in building the team’s confidence.

“We all want to play our game, get a few wins and get back on track,” he said. “It would be nice to keep the ball rolling in the right direction.”

Nord said his team is on the right track but can still develop further.

“We still can improve,” he said. “We are close, plus we have some of the tougher teams coming up.  I’ve got a good bunch of competitors that will respond to the challenge.”

Both teams said it is an advantage to be out on the road together.

“It will be great to have some fans down there rooting us on,” Paulson said. 

Dektar said it would be nice rooting on the women’s team and have them cheer on the men’s team as well.

“It is always nice to have some friendly faces,” he said. “We help each other out.”