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BILLINGS, Mont. - The Montana State University Billings Women's tennis team improved to 2-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference defeating Metropolitan State University-Denver 6-3 Saturday morning.  The MSUB were men defeated by Metro 7-2 and now fall to 0-2 in conference play.
 
WOMEN'S: MSUB 6 MSU-D 3
 
The Lady Yellowjackets were able to take advantage of some injuries to the Metro team.  Metro could only field five players and were forced to forfeit number three doubles and number six singles giving MSUB a 2-0 lead before a single ball was hit.  None the less, the match had to be played and MSUB was able to continue to ride the momentum they built from defeating Colorado State University-Pueblo yesterday, 5-4. 
 
The two teams split the two doubles matches play as Morgan Opp and Madeline Loomis lost 0-8 playing number one doubles.  Emily Paffhausen and Mary Conwell rolled through Metro's number two team 8-1.  MSUB held the 2-1 advantage heading into singes play.
 
Playing number one, Opp lost 2-6, 3-6 and Loomis fell 2-6, 1-6 at the number two spot.  MSUB would sweep number 3-5 singles only dropping a combined two games.  Hannah Shephard won at number three 6-0,  6-1; Conwell also won 6-0, 6-1 as she went undefeated on the weekend.  Marissa O'Connell cleaned house at number five singles winning 6-0, 6-0.  MSUB would go onto the 6-3 win.  After the opening weekend, MSUB is a top the RMAC at 2-0 with a 2-5 overall record. .  
 
"The women had an extraordinary weekend and find themselves perched at the top of the conference," head coach Lew Kosich said.  "Mary Conwell was undefeated this weekend and there is nothing like a couple of great wins to build confidence as we are looking forward to the rest of the season." "Captain Maddie Loomis played her last home matches this weekend and came out with two solid victories."
 
MEN'S: MSUB 2 MSU-D 7  
 
The MSUB men had a rougher day as they fell to Metro 2-7.  The two victories came at number two doubles with Kavindu Gamage and Eric De Romas winning 8-6.  Gamage also won his singles match in dominating fashion 6-1, 6-0.  Gamage adds to his all-time singles wins in a single season with 17 and is now in sole possession of first place in most doubles victories in a season with 13.  He is also now has the most combined wins in a single season with 26.  All-time in MSUB history, Gamage is currently second in career combined victories (60), second in doubles victories (26) and second in singles victories (34).
 
At number one doubles, Brandon Beardsley and Josh Hedderig lost 2-8 while the number three team of Austin Kische and Daniil Gorkov fell 5-8. 
 
In singles, Beardsley lost 1-6, 1-6 at number one, Heddrig was beat 1-6, 2-6 at number two, DeRomas lost a tough fought first set 5-7 then fell in the second set 1-6.  Kische lost at number five 1-6, 2-6 and Gorkov fell 0-6, 0-6.  MSU-Billings drops to 2-6 overall and 0-2 RMAC.
 
"The men had a tough weekend with everyone fighting hard after being forced to move up one position.  I expect to learn from the experience in the higher level positions and become a force to reckon with by the RMAC tournament.  "Capt. Kavindu Gamage played his final home matches and finished undefeated with two singles and doubles wins.  He will lead us through the rest of the season and onto the conference championships."
 
Both the men's and women's team hit the road next week as they travel to Denver CO to take on the remaining RMAC schools, Western New Mexico University, Colorado Christian University and Colorado Mesa University.