BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State’s 2021 men’s tennis schedule starts a little later and looks a little different than normal, but second-year head coach Trey Morris is ready to go.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve played a match,” Morris said, “and I know the guys are excited to get back and prepare to play. Our fall was as productive as possible, but we’re all ready to gear up for the spring season.”
With the Big Sky Conference’s nine tennis-playing schools in 2021 split into divisions, Montana State and the other four northern schools – Montana State, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Portland State – play a single round robin. The Bobcats welcome several regional schools to Bozeman for non-league matches, and pick up a handful of matches on conference road trips.
When the Bobcats open the 2021 season on February 6, it will have been 274 days since their last match. Pacific University of Oregon visits for a 3 pm match, and the next day MSU hosts Idaho State in a non-league match at 12 noon. Two weeks later, MSU faces Whitman (9 am) and Whitworth (2 pm) on February 20, then visits Idaho State on February 27 and faces Boise State in Pocatello on February 28.
MSU’s first conference match is at Portland State on March 13 before non-league contests at Portland and George Fox on March 14. The Cats host Idaho on April 10, and Eastern Washington on April 16. Weber State visits Bozeman for an April 17 non-league tilt, and the Bobcats finish the regular season with the Cat-Griz match on April 24 and a contest later that day against Lewis-Clark State in Missoula.
This year’s Big Sky Championships take place May 1-2 in Phoenix, with the top two teams from each of the Big Sky’s two divisions. Idaho State, Weber State, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State comprise the Big Sky South.
Feb. 6 Pacific (Ore.), 3 pm
Feb. 7 Idaho State, 12 noon
Feb. 20 Whitworth, 2 pm
Feb. 27 at Idaho State, TBA
Feb. 28 Boise State at Pocatello, TBA
Mar. 13 *at Portland State, 10 am
Mar. 14 at Portland, TBA
Mar. 14 at George Fox, 4 pm
Apr. 10 *Idaho, 2 pm
Apr. 16 *Eastern Washington, 3 pm
Apr. 17 Weber State, 2 pm
Apr. 24 *at Montana
Apr. 24 Lewis-Clark State at Missoula, TBA
May 1 at Big Sky Championships, Phoenix
May 2 at Big Sky Championships, Phoenix
May 20 at NCAA Championships at Lake Nona, Florida