Subscribe
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events
Menu
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events

Big Horn tennis team heads outside and into competitions with all-girl squad 

in Local, Sports
Big Horn tennis team heads outside and into competitions with all-girl squad 

Zoë Luchini lines up for a shot while playing doubles with Rowan Mitchell in first Lone Peak match. PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBBY GRABOW

Jen Clanceyby Jen Clancey
April 30, 2025

By Jen Clancey STAFF WRITER 

Before weather permitted outdoor practice, the Lone Peak High School tennis team could be found in the school gym rallying the ball within green tape boundaries. The seven all-girl squad consists of four seasoned players, three who are new to the sport, and had just one outdoors practice before their first match up against Red Lodge on April 15. 

Starting in mid-April, LPHS tennis players have faced teams in the region, learning the quality of competitors and practicing matches ahead of more competitive tournaments. Head coach Libby Grabow discussed how the team is doing ahead of the Dawg Bite Invitational in Helena this weekend, May 2-3. 

Article Inline Ad Article Inline Ad Article Inline Ad

Grabow highlighted seniors Libby Coltea and Addy Malinowski, who are looking forward to playing doubles together in divisionals in mid-May. Malinowski has played with the Big Horn tennis team for all four years and played singles last year. Grabow said it’s important each player gets experience playing alone, outside pairs to strengthen their confidence. 

Senior doubles team Addy Malinowski (left) and Libby Coltea (right). PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBBY GRABOW

“People want to play doubles a lot because I think they’re comfortable having another person,” Grabow said on the phone with EBS. “But it’s really good for them to play singles too and have to kind of navigate those calls.” 

Another standout player on the tennis squad is sophomore Catherine Coltea, who made it to the State Class B-C quarter finals last year with now-graduated Vera Grabow. Catherine plans to play singles in divisionals and states this year. 

Other players include junior Poppy Towle who is contributing as a third year player for the Big Horns and freshmen Rowan Mitchell, Zoë Luchini and Maeve McRae who are playing tennis for the first time in a competitive environment. 

Though matches at this point serve as opportunities to learn and practice against other teams, Grabow said that the team is winning about half of matches. 

“It’s a mental game, a big mental game as well,” Grabow said about the one-on-one nature of tennis. She looks forward to this weekend, where the Big Horns will play against teams all over the state—some schools like Baker High School will travel all the way from the eastern border of Montana to Helena to compete. 

Grabow thinks that this is a great opportunity for the Big Horns to get time on the court with a variety of skilled players. 

“The first day is full of tennis … it’s so full of teams,” Grabow said. “[It’s] a really nice way to see a lot of teams play, and then you kind of can see where people are.”

With a small roster, Grabow likes to mix and match players for doubles and finds that each of the players of the seven-athlete team contribute in different ways. 

As snow subsides and the sun lingers for longer days, Grabow looks forward to practices outside on the high school’s tennis courts, where players can feel how it is to play in a more realistic environment. Being able to better predict the bounce of a tennis ball on an outdoor court, and the way lighting, wind and noise impact play—both mentally and physically—may serve the Big Horns well as they advance through the season.

Outlaw Realty Outlaw Realty
Outlaw Realty
ADVERTISEMENT

Listen

Hoary Marmot Podcast

Joe Borden & Michele Veale Borden

Lastest Episode
See More Episodes

Upcoming Events

May 21
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

“On the Face of it,” an original Big Sky Community production

May 23
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Event Series

Trivia at Waypoint

May 27
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm Event Series

American Legion Bingo

May 30
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Event Series

Trivia at the Waypoint

Jun 5
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Event Series

Birds and Brews: Explore MOR Adult Exploration Series

View Calendar
Event Calendar

Related Posts

Lone Peak girls golf earns third place at state championship
Sports

Lone Peak girls golf earns third place at state championship

May 20, 2025
SPCF awards $574K in spring grants to 19 Big Sky nonprofits 
Local

SPCF awards $574K in spring grants to 19 Big Sky nonprofits 

May 19, 2025
Big Horns advance: Lone Peak track athletes to compete at states
Sports

Big Horns advance: Lone Peak track athletes to compete at states

May 17, 2025
Big Sky PBR named ‘Event of the Year’ for 11th year straight 
Featured

Big Sky PBR named ‘Event of the Year’ for 11th year straight 

May 17, 2025

An Outlaw Partners Publication

Facebook-f Instagram X-twitter Youtube

Explore Big Sky

  • About/Contact
  • Advertise
  • Publications
  • Subscriptions
  • Podcast
  • Submissions

Outlaw Brands

  • Big Sky PBR
  • Hey Bear
  • Mountain Outlaw
  • Outlaw Partners
  • Outlaw Realty
  • Plan Yellowstone

Copyright © 2025 Explore Big Sky | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Choices

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Yellowstone
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Real Estate
  • Events

©2024 Outlaw Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Explore Big Sky Logo
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events
Subscribe
Facebook X-twitter Instagram Youtube