Valley City 2

 

#1  Clarissa Olson lost to Brynn Poppe 6-1, 6-0

#2  Reagan Ingstad beat Laura McGuigan 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3

#3  Maia Wendel lost to Heidi Wanzek 6-1, 6-0

 

#1  Sam Coit/Sara Gilbertson beat Paige Stevens/Jenna Forkness 6-4, 6-1

#2  Rachel Schueneman/Abby Ingstad lost to Emily McGreggor/Maria Wanzek 6-4, 6-1

 

 

In a 3-2 line-up, it is a guessing game on what will work for us and what the other coach will do.  The players laid it all on the line, but I as the coach did not create the best line-up to beat Davies.  Davies played very well and is very deserving of 5th place.  This year we played as a team, we won as a team, and we lost as a team.  I am so proud of how we competed all year long.  We took big strides this year.  This year, we played as the favorite in many matches and pulled through with that pressure.  We earned the 3 seed in the east outright. We won a team match at state.  All these are moving us in the right direction.  Next year – depending on how hard our team works in the offseason – we could be anywhere from not state qualifying to being in the championship match at state.  That is not a hyperbole.  That is fact.  

 

#6E Sam Coit/Sara Gilbertson beat #3W Jenna Andre/Lauryn Andre (Bismarck High))

#3E Clarissa Olson/Reagan Ingstad beat #6W Jenna Ree/Bailey Graves (Jamestown)

 

#6E  Sam Coit/Sara Gilbertson lost to #2E Kaylee Stock/Katie Baasch (West Fargo)

#3E  Clarissa Olson/Reagan Ingstad beat Courtney Brackin/Anne Dickson (Bismarck Century)

 

Sam and Sara pulled out the upset of the tournament in their first match.  The Bismarck team were great players, but Sam and Sara played amazing doubles.  Sara was all over the net and Sam played great groundstokes and attacked when the opportunity presented themselves.  Both had amazing hands and belief, getting balls back that that they had no business getting back.  It was very fun to watch and the best match played all season by our two great players.  The 2nd round match with Stock and Baasch was very difficult.  They were seeded #1 in the EDC for a reason and they showed it in that match.  Sara and Sam play tomorrow morning at 9am.  If they win, they will play another match to get to the 5th place match.  If they lose, their

tournament is over.  Go get ’em!

 

 

Reagan and Claire had a routine win in the first round over Jamestown.  Valley was favored and we came out and played how we needed to play to get the ‘W.’  In the quarterfinals, Reagan and Claire met up with the same Bismarck Century team that they beat at the West Fargo invite this year.  Also, Reagan beat Brackin just yesterday in singles in our opening match against Century.  Century took it to us in the first set.  We looked like deer in headlights.  They blew us off the court 6-2 in the opening set.  At the set break, a little tough love conversation occurred between the coaches and players and boy did they respond.  They kept the set close and finished off the set 7-5.  We had belief in our strokes, soft touch, great hands, and teamwork.  After the 10 minute break, we kept a one game advantage on every change over.  Up 5-4, 40-15, our girls had 3 match points.  The saints saved all of them to tie it 5 all.  That could have been the turning point in the match, but our girls came right back and won Reagan’s serve for the first time in the set.  Up 6-5, we played to win and got up 40-0 and then put the match away.  

 

That win in the quarterfinals puts them into the semifinals which means the lowest Claire and Reagan can finish is 4th in the state tournament.  That win also guarantees that Reagan and Claire All-State!  Congratulations girls.  They will play at 11am tomorrow.

 

 

I’m proud of all of our girls.  Breanna has been a great teammate at practice and at regionals and state and has been ready to step in and play if needed or just to warm up with her teammates or be a sounding board for a teammate.  Abby, Rachel, and Maia would do anything for the benefit of this team and have worked hard to get to where they are.  Sara and Sam state qualified for the 2nd year in the #6 spot from the East and took down a #3 seed.  Are you kidding me?!?!  That was unreal and they should be very excited and proud of themselves for their play.  Reagan and Claire – yeah, they are All-State and guaranteed 4th – but the big thing isn’t that.  The big thing is that they learned, listened, believed, and grew on the court as we all watched.  The win was just a bonus.

 

I LOVE being a Hi-Liner!

Coach Nielson