Bobcat tennis rallies at home

After a successful home weekend, Bobcat tennis is gearing up to finish its season strong. Both the men’s and women’s teams took on the Northern Arizona University (NAU) Lumberjacks last Friday and the men went on to face the Weber State University (WSU) Wildcats on Sunday.

With the Big Sky Conference (BSC) tournament right around the corner, both teams have continued to sharpen their game. Currently, the men’s and women’s teams hold overall records of 4-17 and 5-9, respectively.

Sophomore Eddie Biss described the weekend as a long battle that ended in success.

“[NAU is] the best team in our conference,” Biss said. “We knew it was going to be a tough match, but I think we played really well and kind of brought it down to the wire.”

The Lumberjacks took an early lead over MSU, winning the doubles point and two of the singles matches — but the ‘Cats were not ready to give up. Freshman Ethan Masselis and sophomores Yassin Elaroussy and Biss all secured wins to tie the match 3-3. In the final singles match MSU fell to the Lumberjacks, resulting in a 4-3 loss overall.

Earlier in the day, the women’s team secured a 4-3 win against NAU.

“[It] came down to our freshman, Lola Bean, who clinched it,” said women’s Assistant Coach Emily Dush. “Those are always exciting, especially because the moment can get so big.”

Lola and her older sister, junior Angel Bean, took two singles matches for MSU, and Bobcat senior Kayva Khirwar won a third. Lola’s singles match was the last of the day and MSU’s final chance to break their 3-3 deadlock.

“That’s what you play for, those pressure situations, and when it goes your way, you’re on top of the world. So it was really fun to see Lola clinch it and then also do it on our home court,” Dush said.

On Sunday, Biss helped the men’s team win against the Wildcats, breaking a 3-3 deadlock. He just barely sealed the win after his final serve grazed the tip of his opponent's racket before falling. His win in the last singles match brought the final score to 4-3 Bobcats after a nearly five-hour-long match, according to Bobcat Athletics.

The men’s team is not done, though. According to Biss, the Bobcats still have several goals before the season wraps up at the end of April, one of which is finishing in the top four before the conference tournament. Currently, the men’s team sits fourth in the BSC

“This conference this year is super competitive. Everyone is super close, so at this stage we’re just looking to get to the conference tournament and then go from there,” Biss said. 

The men will continue their season against the Sacramento State Hornets at home this Friday and the women will face the University of Montana Grizzlies on Saturday.

“This weekend’s match against [Sacramento] State is really important, and kind of a must-win if we want to get to conference tournament,” Biss said.

The women have also set several goals heading into the rest of the season, according to Dush. At the top of their list is building a strong team mentality to carry into next year.

“We’re just really trying to solidify more of a culture, more of that foundation, and then obviously within the next couple of years be a big contender for the [BSC] and win the championship,” Dush said.

The team hopes to build up its players by promoting individuality and a strong support system, according to Dush.

“In general, it's important to really show women and young women their value, and I think sports does that tremendously,” she said. “You learn a lot about who you are and what your values are, because you’re constantly going through sets of adversity throughout the course of the year. That’s when you grow a lot.”

The women’s team is looking forward to this weekend after its win against NAU, which provided a confidence boost, according to Dush. 

“I think as long as we keep things one day at a time and just keep building, doing the right stuff, it sets us up really well. It’s just really great to get that confidence and that momentum going,” she said.

Both teams will also be playing at home next weekend, with the men facing the Griz on Saturday, April 18 and the women battling WSU on Sunday, April 19.

Students and spectators can attend the matches for free at the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.

To see the women’s schedule, visit https://msubobcats.com/sports/womens-tennis/schedule.

To see the men’s schedule, visit https://msubobcats.com/sports/mens-tennis/schedule.