Bobcat Women’s Tennis Team Cages Wildcats

Sunday, April 7

Bozeman, MT

9 a.m.

Montana State University

Weber State

Senior Charlotta Hjalmarsson posted a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles to lift the Bobcats to a 6-1 win over Weber State on Sunday afternoon.

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

4/7/2013 2:14:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Sometimes a little change in scenery is all you need to make things right. And, that’s exactly what the Montana State women’s tennis team did with its doubles tandems, en route to a 6-1 win over Weber State, Sunday afternoon in the Anderson Tennis Center.

By: Tom Schulz

Sometimes a little change in scenery is all you need to make things right. And, that's exactly what the Montana State women's tennis team did with its doubles tandems, en route to a 6-1 win over Weber State, Sunday afternoon in the Anderson Tennis Center.

After struggling in recent weeks in doubles play, MSU head coach Denise Albrecht mixed up the combinations at Nos. 2 and 3, and the change provided instant dividends.

Albrecht kept her No. 1 team of Charlotta Hjalmarsson and Paulina Lopez intact, and the duo notched an 8-4 win over Weber State's Kristi Elmer and Thais Kurer. The new pairings of Iva Parapunova and Liana Bates at No. 2 and Wena Tsan and Ellie Crum at No. 3 also gave MSU two victories by identical 8-3 finishes.

Hjalmarsson and Lopez are 5-2 in Big Sky play, one of the top tandems in the league.

“We needed to mix things up to get our doubles play jump-started,” Albrecht said. “Getting the opening doubles point is critical, because it often sets the tone for the rest of the match.”

Leading 1-0, Hjalmarsson cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Elmer at No. 1 singles, followed closely by Parapunova's 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3 singles over Nittaya Phonharath to give the Bobcats a commanding 3-0 advantage.

“Char and Iva are playing really well,” Albrecht said. “We need to keep this momentum going as we head down the stretch of Big Sky play.”

Lopez, playing at No. 2 singles, rallied for a 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-1 win to clinch the match for the Bobcats. MSU also picked up points at Nos. 5 and 6 singles, where Tsan posted a 6-3, 6-1 win over Michelle Warwick, and Bates notched a 2-6, 6-0, 10-4 decision over Annika Karlsen.

Montana State will travel to Eastern Washington next Friday.

Results: Montana State 6, Weber State 1

Singles: 1. HJALMARSSON, Char (MSU) def. ELMER, Kristi (WSU) 6-0, 6-0; 2. LOPEZ, Paulina (MSU) def. TANNER, Michelle (WSU) 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1; 3. PARAPUNOVA, Iva (MSU) def. PHONHARATH, Nittaya (WSU) 6-0, 6-4; 4. KURER, Thais (WSU) def. CRUM, Ellie (MSU) 4-6, 6-4, 10-6; 5. TSAN, Wena (MSU) def. WARWICK, Michelle (WSU) 6-3, 6-1; 6. BATES, Liana (MSU) def. KARLSEN, Annika (WSU) 2-6, 6-0, 10-4. Doubles: 1. HJALMARSSON, Char/LOPEZ, Paulina (MSU) def. ELMER, Kristi/KURER, Thais (WSU) 8-4; 2. PARAPUNOVA, Iva/BATES, Liana (MSU) def. TANNER, Michelle/WARWICK, Michelle (WSU) 8-3; 3. TSAN, Wena/CRUM, Ellie (MSU) def. PHONHARATH, Nittaya/LLOYD, Carly (WSU) 8-3.