PHOENIX, Arizona – The No. 3 seeded Idaho State women's tennis team held off a late surge from No. 6 seed Montana State to earn a 4–2 victory in the Big Sky Conference Championship opening round on Thursday at the Phoenix Tennis Center.
With the win, the Bengals improve to 13–7 on the season and advance to the semifinal round.
"I am really proud of how we played in doubles today", Head Coach, Gretchen Maloney, shared. "We stuck with our game plan and played extremely clean throughout the lineup.
In singles play Millie and Stefanya played so solid for us at one and two... some of the matches got pretty tight, however the girls figured out a way to win. I am super proud of Emmy for getting the clinch."
Doubles
Idaho State earned the early advantage by securing the doubles point with strong, decisive play on courts two and three.
The Bengals' ability to grab the doubles point proved pivotal as the match tightened in singles play.
Singles
Idaho State quickly built a strong position with dominant wins at the top of the lineup before Montana State mounted a comeback.
- No. 1 Singles: Millie Day (ISU) def. Bean (MSU), 6–2, 6–2
- No. 2 Singles: Stefanya Shalakhova (ISU) def. Wise (MSU), 6–2, 6–4
- No. 3 Singles: Asem Shoybek (ISU) fell to Gelashvili (MSU), 3–6, 6–3, 1–6
- No. 4 Singles: Emmy Richards (ISU) def. Bean (MSU), 1–6, 6–4, 6–4
- No. 5 Singles: Sydney Morris (ISU) fell to Stverakova (MSU), 4–6, 4–6
- No. 6 Singles: Veronika Zarovna (ISU) vs. Khirwar (MSU), unfinished (6–4, 4–6, 4–4)
After Idaho State jumped out to a 3–0 lead behind straight-set wins from Day and Shalakhova, Montana State responded by taking points at No. 5 and No. 3 singles to cut the deficit to 3–2, putting pressure on the remaining courts.
With momentum shifting, it was Emmy Richards who delivered the decisive blow for the Bengals.
After dropping the opening set 1–6, Richards regrouped and showed poise under pressure, battling back to take the next two sets 6–4, 6–4 to clinch the match for Idaho State, proving why she was named an All-Conference Singles Honorable Mention as a true freshman. Her comeback halted Montana State's rally and secured the Bengals' advancement.
Up Next
The win sets up a rematch Idaho State has long been looking forward to, facing off against No. 2 seed Northern Arizona, who beat the Bengals, 3-4, earlier this season. The Bengals and Lumberjacks will go up against one another in the semifinal round on Friday morning.
