By David Paulsen
Sports Correspondent
Although the team is 11-9 overall this season, the Whitewater High School girls tennis team is still seeking its first dual win in the Rock Valley Conference this fall.
The Whippets fell to 0-4 in the RVC with a 5-2 loss to Jefferson Sept. 12, and a 7-0 loss to McFarland Monday.
In between those two losses, the Whippet girls won three matches at the Edgerton Quad on Saturday.
Vs. McFarland
McFarland showed why they are leading the RVC this fall with a 7-0 shutout of Whitewater Monday.
“They are solid from top to bottom,” head coach Tim Nelson said. “We played them tough at doubles, but just aren’t quite there to pull them out yet.”
Nelson noted that his No. 1 doubles team of Kacie Snyder and Erika Levine have yet to practice together since him put them together on Saturday, yet they played tough in a 6-3, 7-5 loss in this dual.
“I’m just hoping that I didn’t come up with this idea too late to get enough work in to make a push for the end-of-season tournaments,” Nelson said.
Part of that doubles change involved moving Emily Markham to No. 2 singles. Markham played well in a three-set loss, 6-1, 3-6, 0-6.
“The score in the last set is a little deceiving as every game but one went to deuce and that game was 30-30,” Nelson said.
Edgerton Quad
The Whippet won this quad, winning all three matches. The girls began with a 7-0 shutout of Lake Mills, then edged Columbus 4-3, before defeating Edgerton 5-2.
Two doubles teams, and one singles player, went undefeated.
Levine and Snyder won all three of their matches in their first action together at No. 1 doubles.
“Erika and Kacie didn’t start out too well,” Nelson said. “Their first set of the day was just ugly. Having never practiced together and Kacie hadn’t played any doubles except a few JV matches last year, they had no idea what to expect out of each other.”
After an 0-3 start, the pair came back to win that set 6-3. By the end of the day they were doing better on their communication and what they needed to do to win matches. They faced two tiebreakers in their three matches and won both 10-1.
Grace Tisdale and Izzy Zahn swept their three games at No. 3 doubles.
“They have been having trouble with the basics as they were just letting errors build on them,” Nelson said. “Today they looked more relaxed and were able to keep things in play, putting pressure on their opponents to have to make that next shot.”
At No. 3 singles, Tanner Musgrove won her three matches, including two that went to a tiebreaker.
“Tanner has had trouble keeping her head up in close matches this year,” Nelson said. “She has had times where she gets down on herself. That did not happen (here). In her second match, after a very good first set, she let things slide and was beaten rather easily in the second. She didn’t let it bother her and she came back big in the tiebreaker (10-3).”
Nelson said Musgrove true highlight was her final match. After losing the first set, Musgrove was down 1-4 in the second set tiebreak, but came back to win the tiebreaker 8-6, and then take the final tiebreaker 12-10.
Vs. Jefferson
Whitewater was unable to secure any win in singles action in this RVC dual, getting their sole two victories in doubles play.
“Jefferson’s singles were just too consistent and deep for us,” Nelson said.
Emily Markham and Erika Levine won 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles, while Sally Hixson and Ali Sedmak pulled out a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 2.
Nelson noted that Snyder was ill and unable to play.
The RVC Meet will take place Thursday, Sept. 26, and Saturday, Sept. 28, at UW-Whitewater.
