By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
The Elkhorn Area High School Girls Tennis team recently scored its first Southern Lakes Conference victory of the season.
The Elks defeated Wilmot 4-3 Aug. 30 at home. The Elks won one match at singles and swept the doubles.
At No. 2 singles, Elkhorn’s Haley Blum defeated Kristen Jaeger 6-1, 6-0.
The doubles matches were where the Elks won the meet.
“Haley Blum at No. 2 singles won, but our doubles, across the board, brought us to our first victory,” head coach Donna Neshek said.
At No. 1 Margaret Koss and Alanna Welsh beat Sydney VanZeeland and Tiffany O’Doud 7-5, 6-0. Lindsay Klemp and Taylor Reed defeated Becca Krenz and Desiree Lenick-Pena 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 and at No. 3 Sam Price and Erika Sessing bested Becca Boyle and Cyndey Swanson 6-1, 6-3.
“The team, as a whole, is improving quickly,” Neshek said. “Their physical game is coming along and we are working hard to bring some mental toughness to the whole squad.
“They are starting to believe in themselves as winners and that will turn the tables for us in the close matches we have this season.”
On Aug. 28, the Elks dropped their Southern Lakes Conference opener 6-1 to Lake Geneva Badger at Lake Geneva.
The Elks’ lone victory came from Price and Sessing at No. 3 doubles. They defeated Kaitlyn Theisz and Jacklyn Tueting 6-0, 6-3.
Elkhorn plays today in a SLC match at Union Grove and Monday at home in a SLC match versus Burlington.