The Fargo Davies Eagles came to VC for a tennis match against the Hi-Liners on Thursday, May 1st.  A special thanks to Susan and Erik Kringlie of the VCTA for putting on the annual BBQ!  It was appreciated by all.

 

Results:  VC always listed first

 

VC 6

Davies 3

 

Singles:

#1  Clarissa Olson beat Brynn Poppe 6-0, 6-1

#2  Sam Coit lost to Laura McGuigan 6-0, 7-5

#3  Sara Gilbertson lost to Jenna Forknell 6-4, 6-2

#4  Maia Wendel lost to Heidi Wanzek 6-1, 6-1

#5  Reagan Ingstad beat Emily McGregor 6-3, 6-1

#6  Abby Ingstad beat Maria Wanzek 6-4, 6-4

 

 

Doubles:

#1  Olson/R.Ingstad beat McGuigan/Poppe 6-7(3), 6-0, 6-2

#2  Coit/Gilbertson beat H.Wanzek/McGregor 6-2, 6-4

#3  Wendel/Rachel Schueneman beat Forknell/Paige Stevens 6-3, 6-3

 

 

 

Thoughts:

We knew going into the match that Fargo Davies was going to be good with qualifying for state last year right behind us AND they didn’t lose anyone due to graduation where we lost Destiny Winkler – the EDC runner-up in doubles last year and an All-EDC player.  We beat them last year in the regular season 6–3 on a very cold and windy day at Davies.  Some attributed that victory to our team being tougher in the elements.  Today, we beat them 6–3 again on a cool, breezy day.  I attribute that to our mental toughness, our hunger, our focus on winning the next point, and our footwork.

 

Sometimes its tough to find something that stands out with these girls as to stand out means its really got to be amazing as this TEAM is a fun, fantastic, and really top notch group of girls to work with.  BUT – today, I have a book to write with what went down!

 

Rachel Schueneman was a whole step quicker today.  In yesterday’s indoor practice in the wrestling room in socks with no racquets and no tennis balls, we worked on the ready position, the split step, and then getting to and hitting the ball.  To outsiders of the tennis team, this would have looked ludicrous.  Our girls took this footworking drill to heart and many improved with just one practice, most noticeably Rachel who played her best match of the season.

 

Rachel and Maia Wendel played a solid match at #3 doubles.  These two still have so much potential that needs to be unleashed.  If we can get Rachel to be more aggressive at the net and Maia to hit her topspin with her good footwork, they could be an unstoppable force at #3 doubles in the EDC.

 

A first for me in tennis did happen today;  We had two matches side by side finished at the exact same time.  #3 doubles and Sam Coit and Sara Gilbertson at #2 doubles both had 5 games in the 2nd set at deuce.  Both teams hit winner volleys at the exact same time to win the match.  Really neat ladies.  Sam and Sara were all over the net all day today.  Both of their movement at the net were superb and just flustered the opponents.  

 

Abby Ingstad is not even the same player or person from last season or the first couple weeks of this season.  She played with poise today and is really starting to make the correct shot selection.  She used to believe everything needed to be hard.  Now, she is understanding the game and doing the right things on the court.  Also, Abby used to live and die with every point and every game.  Today, she was completely even keeled.  In both sets, she was up 5-2 and lost two in a row to be up 5-4.  She didn’t let that bother her, keeping her emotions in check, and continued to battle and winning both sets 6-4.  The old Abby would have dropped that match.  The new Abby with her found mental toughness won her match, helping Valley to go up 4-0 with 5 singles matches left to play.  Great job Abby.  

 

 

Clarissa Olson is solidifying herself as a legitimate #1 player.  After beating Lawley from South, she followed it up with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory over Davies #1 player.  Also, after she and Reagan lost the first set in doubles, Clarissa upped her game as did Reagan Ingstad, only dropping two total games in the next two sets!  Wow.  Reagan is continuing her growth and today was more on the mental side of tennis with coming back a set in doubles and then keeping her temperament even when playing a very good, but streaky player.  

 

The set of the day goes to Sam Coit.  Laura McGuigan from Davies is a top notch player and she played top notch all day.  Sam upped her game in the second set though.  I have said in previous results that Sam was a scrappy, fighter on the court.  Today, she was a tennis player.  If you watched Sam, you saw the footwork, the belief, the topspin, the shot selection, the heart, and someone who gave their all on each and every point.  The ball didn’t bounce her way in the set (literally as McGuigan hit a deuce point ball into the net at 5-5 and it somehow rolled over the net to give her the 6-5 lead instead of Sam), but I could not be more proud of how she played, persevered, and worked on the court for her team.

 

Next up is a double header in Fargo on Tuesday where we are finishing a match versus Wahpeton at noon followed by playing Fargo North.  These matches will show our grit because is it a double header AND our #1, 2, and 3 will not have had a racquet in their hands for 4 days as they are headed to New York with the band and choir and will not be back in their beds until Midnight on Monday.  We gotta just keep persevering!

 

I LOVE BEING A HI-LINER!!

Coach Nielson