By Ryan Spoehr
SLN staff
After the Whippets tennis team started its 2017 campaign, the coach lauded the maturation on the court while facing tough competition on the court.
“The Whippets opened their season with some very close, tough matches,” coach Tim Nelson said. “The team is rebuilding this year with the loss of several key players to injury and graduation. Every single girl is either playing with a new partner, has moved up to a higher ranking or is playing a completely new and higher position.”
In a quadrangular meet at East Troy on Aug. 14 that also included Union Grove and Monroe, Nelson said East Troy was the toughest competition of the day.
The team came up short against East Troy 2-5. However, there were eight tie breaks and six other sets that were decided by on two.
“The girls showed a lot of growth throughout the day,” Nelson said.
Odessa Sonn and Sophie Olson won two out of their three matches during the day as the No. 2 doubles team. Abby Gnatzig and Marissa Mueller also did at No. 3 doubles.
Also for Whitewater, No. 1 singles player Sydney Treder picked up a win, 6-1 and 6-2, against Monroe at singles. No. 2 singles Hannah Delaney also picked up a win against East Troy, 7-6(5); 5-7; 10-3. No. 4 singles Kaitlyn Partoll picked up a win 6-2 and 6-0 against Union Grove.
Growth continues at Delavan-Darien
The maturation continued the following day at an invite at Delavan-Darien, Nelson said.
“Whitewater showed definite improvement finishing second behind Waterford,” Nelson said.
Treder won all three of her matches at the No. 1 singles spot. Sonn and Olson won all of their matches at No. 2 doubles.
Delaney, at No. 2 singles, and Gnatzig at No. 3 doubles, each won two matches. Gnatzig won a match each with Mueller and Caty Strait.
At No. 3 singles, Cassidy Laue picked up a win. Partoll also picked up a win at No. 4 singles. Maddie Hough and Hailey Lohmeier picked up a win at No. 1 doubles.
“I was very proud of the girls today. We had several players who got down in matches and no one gave up,” Nelson said. “We had at least five matches where we were down considerably, yet came back to win. With any team, especially an inexperienced one, that is a tremendous thing to see.”
After starting play at an invite in Altoona Thursday, the Whippets continue play at the invite at 10 a.m. on Friday. The team’s next match is at Columbus at 9 a.m. on Aug. 24.
