MISSOULA, Mont. – The Portland women's tennis team earned a 5-2 road win against the Montana Grizzlies on Sunday at the Peak Racquet Club. The Pilots (3-4) bounced back from a 4-3 Saturday loss to Utah State to split the road trip.

"This was a tough weekend of very good competition," Portland coach Filip Zivkovic said. "Yesterday's match took a lot out of us both physically and emotionally, so I am extremely proud of how the team responded today. We were gritty and we battled at every position."

Portland swept the doubles point comfortable with 6-2 wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions and a 6-1 decision at No. 3.

The Pilots then went ahead 3-0 after Iva Zelic and Sally Pethybridge won in straight sets at the top of the singles lineup. Montana picked up wins at the No. 3 and No.4 positions to make it interesting. Rimona Rouf closed the door with a 6-2, 7-6 win against Ivayla Miktova at No. 5 singles to clinch the match. Angela Schuster then came back to win her singles debut at No. 6 with a 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 super tiebreaker win at No. 6 to complete the scoring.

"We are becoming a very good doubles team and we played clean and sharp matches at every position," Zivkovic noted. "Rimona really turned the corner today and played some amazing tennis to come back from 0-4 down in the second set and win the clinching point. I am so very proud of Angela for the way she competed today in her first competitive singles match in about 10 months. Her passion and resolve is so inspiring and I am so happy to see her back on the court and competing. She is an amazing representative of our program."

The Pilots will return to action next weekend with three matches in Las Vegas. Portland will face Seattle U on Friday, New Mexico State on Saturday and host UNLV on Sunday at the Fertitta Complex. All three matches are scheduled for 10 a.m. starts.

Portland, 5, Montana 2
Missoula, Mont. (Peak Racquet Club)
February 27, 2022

Singles
1. Iva Zelic (POR) def. Grace Haugen (MONT) 6-4, 6-4
2. Sally Pethybridge (POR) def. Olivia Oosterbaan (MONT) 6-1, 6-4
3. Lauren Dunlap (MONT) def. Neli Sunjic (POR) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
4. Maria Goheen (MONT) def. Marija Elenova (POR) 7-5, 6-4
5. Rimona Rouf (POR) def. Ivayla Mitkova (MONT) 6-2, 7-6 (5)
6. Angela Schuster (POR) def. Claudia Reguant (MONT) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7)

Doubles
1. Zelic/Sunjic (POR) def. Oosterbaan/Mitkova (MONT) 6-2
2. Pethybridge/Rouf (POR) def. Goheen/Haugen (MONT) 6-2
3. Aleks Dimitrijevic/Schuster (POR) def. Sterk/Dunlap (MONT) 6-1

Match Notes:
Montana 4-7
Portland 3-4
Order of Finish: Singles (2,1,3,4,5,6) ; Doubles (3,1,2)