Montana State University Athletics

BOZEMAN, Mont. (Feb. 27, 2026) – Montana State hits a high point of it 2026 women's tennis season on Sunday when the Bobcats host perennial Big Sky power Sacramento State at 10 am on Sunday.

MSU hosts a Hornets team that has achieved success against top-flight programs in recent weeks. Sac State, now 6-4 on the season, defeated 52nd-ranked Long Beach State 4-3 a week ago. The team's losses include a 5-2 defeat at No. 22 San Diego State, a loss at 11th-ranked Stanford, and two defeats at Hawaii.

Individually, the Hornets' strength lies at the lower ladder positions. Lou Baudoin leads the Hornets with a 6-2 record, including a 4-0 mark at No. 3 singles. Cami Maldonado Gutierrez is 7-3 overall, including 4-1 at the fifth ladder spot. Paline Saulevich owns a 6-3 mark at the bottom of the lineup.

The Bobcats enter Sunday's match with a 3-5 mark on the season, with quality wins over Marquette, at North Dakota and at Colorado State. MSU looks to snap a four-match losing streak Sunday, but the Bobcats' defeats have been to Boise State, Santa Clara, Idaho and Washington State, all on the road. The team also dropped an early-season decision at Colorado.

First-year Bobcats coach Hailey Barrett looks forward to Sunday's home cooking. "We've spent the first part of our season on the road, and our team is excited to compete in front of our home crowd," she said. "We will definitely feed off the energy and passion of the tennis community here in Bozeman."

Junior Angel Bean leads the Bobcats, compiling a 5-4 record at No. 3 singles. She claimed Big Sky Player of the Week honors once this season. Terezie Stverakova owns a 4-4 record, compiled across the fourth and fifth ladder positions. Angel Bean and Nia Gelashvili stand 3-3 in doubles play, all at No. 2.

Barrett expects great competition against the Hornets. "It will be another tough battle for us," she said. "Sacramento State is one of the best teams in our conference and we feel like we've had some really good challenges already. It's prepared us well for what we'll face on Sunday."

The youthful Bobcats – MSU's lineup features only one senior, Kavya Khirwar – have strung together competitive matches throughout the season against a challenging schedule. Only Colorado has managed a sweep, and every match has featured close individual matches. Three of MSU's next four matches come against Big Sky foes, and Barrett looks forward to using the league as a measuring stick.

Sunday's match is in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center on the MSU campus. Admission is free.

#GoCatsGo

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