A Roundup of the Wildcat Girls Tennis During Opening Week Tournaments

girls tennis team spent four of the first five days of the season competing in two tournaments against tough, high-level competition. The Wildcats finished fifth out of sixteen teams in the Spartan Invitational Tournament held at Brookfield East High School on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Friday and Saturday, USM played in the Dominican Cup tournament sponsored by Madison Edgewood in Madison. The Wildcats played in three dual team matches on Friday and then in a flighted elimination tournament on Saturday. They ended the Madison tournament in sixth place out of eight teams.

The Wildcats first match of the Spartan Invitational, as well as their first match of the season, was against Arrowhead, a perennial Division 1 powerhouse.  Arrowhead narrowly defeated USM in the match; the score was 4-3.

In number 1 singles, defending Division 2 state singles champion Maddie Ecker continued her winning ways.  The USM junior defeated Emily Kolbow 6-4, 6-3. Warhawks won the other three singles matches.  In the number 2 singles match, Mary Hinzey defeated USM’s Becca Buchanan by a 6-4, 6-4 score.  Arrowhead’s Ali Sievers beat Emily Chrobak 6-2, 7-5 in the number 3 singles match, and in number 4 singles play, Rachel Ross knocked off USM’s Haley Gebhardt 6-3, 6-2.

Rachel Bero and Abby Kolbow took the number 1 doubles match for Arrowhead by defeating Riley Kelly and Nicole Harris 6-4, 1-6, (4-10).  The Wildcats won the other two doubles matches.  In number 2 doubles, USM’s Ellie Wigdale and Nicole Flanary beat Sara Trimble and Elaine Romanesko 7-5, 6-2.  USM’s Blake Gillespie and Carly Black won the number 3 doubles match over Molly Zieglar and Caroline Bong 4-6, 6-3, (10-6).

After the tough opening loss, the Wildcats swept through the competition, winning their final three matches of the tournament by 7-0 scores.

First Foe to Fall, Hartford

The first foe to fall to the Wildcats was Hartford. As she had earlier in the day Friday, USM’s Ecker won the number 1 singles match against the Orioles’ Alyssa Doerfert.  Ecker breezed through the match like a refreshing wind off the lake, 6-0, 6-0.  Buchanan rallied from her first round loss to defeat Hartford’s Andrea Thomson, 7-6(4), 6-1.  Chrobak also won her first match of the young season by beating Katie Goetz, 6-2, 6-1 in number 3 singles.  Gebhardt also won the number 4 singles match for the Wildcats by knocking off Chelsey Wagner, 6-1, 6-0.

Kelly and Harris struggled early in their number 1 doubles match against Hartford’s Hannah Kranz and Alaina Schaefer, but eventually they gained control of the play and won 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.  Wigdale and Flanary won again.  They handed Hartford’s Lizzie Carroll and Megan Malinowski a loss by the score of 6-1, 6-2.  Gillespie and Black completed USM’s sweep by beating Allie Childs and Hannah Peters, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).

Despite the increasing heat on Wednesday afternoon, the Wildcats maintained their cool and continued to dominate opponents.

The Wildcats won every set, and 84 of the 93 games, they played against Kenosha Bradford, a Division 1 school. In number 1 singles play, Ecker won again, beating the Red Devils’ Trina Capelli, 6-1, 6-1.  Buchanan blew past Mikayla Savaglio of Bradford, 6-1, 6-0 in number 2 doubles.  In number 3 singles, Chrobak overpowered Bradford’s Marissa Garetto, 6-0, 6-0 and Gebhardt had no problem with Lana Akindes, winning the number 4 singles match 6-0, 6-0.

USM’s Kelly and Wigdale teamed up to shut out Emily Nordloh and Allie Litton, 6-0, 6-0 in the number 1 doubles match.  In number 2 doubles, Harris joined Flanary in beating the Red Devils Alana Wamboldt and Anna Maria Grinis 6-1, 6-0.  USM’s Gillespie and Black beat Leah Swartz and Bryanna Van Blarcom 6-3, 6-2.

USM Takes Kettle Moraine

USM also won every set against Kettle Moraine, another D1 foe.  Ecker easily handled the Lasers’ Haley Reynolds, 6-1, 6-0 in number 1 singles.  Buchanan beat Maddie Strunsee in number 2 singles by a 6-0, 6-4 score.  In the number 3 singles match, Chrobak swept past Megan Zeier of Kettle Moraine 6-0, 6-0 and Gebhardt won the number 4 singles match over the Lasers’ Lauren Keierleber 6-0, 6-3.

In the doubles matches, Kelly and Gillespie got together and beat Kendra Woyahn and Maria Wilke of KM 4-6, 6-3 (10-5) in first doubles.  Wigdale and Harris paired up to beat Kelly Manion and Alyssa Repp 6-1, 6-0 in number 2 doubles play.  In number 3 doubles, Flanary and Black teamed to defeat KM’s Lauren Reynolds and Angela Hoppe, 6-1, 6-2.  In an additional doubles match, USM’s Meredith Short and Taylor Benard beat KM”s Zoe Boundy-Singer and Brenna Mertes 6-3, 6-2.

After a day off on Thursday to recharge their energy, the Wildcats traveled to Madison to play in the Dominican Cup.  USM and Edgewood were the only two Wisconsin teams in the eight-team tournament.  Friday’s matches were dual matches between teams; Saturday’s matches were flighted, so each girl competed in a bracketed elimination competition against others in her assigned position.

A Loss to Edina

USM opened the tournament with an 8:00 a.m. match on Friday against Edina High School, the 2010 Double A state champions in Minnesota. USM lost to Edina, 6-1.

Julia Veitinger was the only USM player to win a match against the powerful Edina team.  Veitinger beat Edina’s Meghan Herring in number 4 singles, 6-0, 6-2. Edina’s Caroline Ward handed USM’s Ecker her first lost of the season.  Ward won the number 1 singles contest by a score of 6-3, 6-4.  In number 2 singles Maddie Boyer of Edina beat Chrobak, 6-0, 6-4.  The Hornets’ Kelly Reger defeated Gebhardt 6-3, 6-0 in number 3 singles.

Edina swept the doubles matches.  In number 1 doubles Edina’s Meghana Vasireddy and Morgan Marinovich knocked off Kelly and Buchanan, 6-3, 6-0.  Mackenzie Marinovich and Bridget Kluesner beat USM’s 6-3, 4-6 (10-5)Wigdale and Harris, 6-3, 4-6 (10-5) in second doubles and in number three doubles Julia Povilaitis and Liza Ware of Edina defeated Gillespie and Flanary 6-2, 3-6 (10-5).

USM Defeats Tournament Host, Edgewood

USM then played the tournament host, Madison Edgewood, and won that match 4-3.  Ecker defeated Edgewood’s Sara Murphy, 6-2, 4-6 (10-5) in the number 1 singles match-up.  Chrobak also won in the number 2 singles match.  She defeated Courtney Burke 3-6, 6-2 (10-5).  In the third singles match Jessie O’Brien of Edgewood beat USM’s Gebhardt 7-5, 6-3.  Veitinger also won her second straight number 4 singles match of the day by defeating, Maggie Seibert 6-1, 6-0.

In doubles, Rachel Wabers and Lauren Keller of Edgewood outlasted USM’s Kelly and Buchannan 6-3, 2-6 (11-9) in first doubles.  In the number 2 doubles match, Edgewood’s Morgan Molitor and Marieke Rybroek beat Wigdale and Harris 7-5, 6-7 (10-8).  Gillespie and Flanary took the third singles match for USM by beating Marigrace Carney and Michaela Jahnke 1-6, 6-4 (10-4).

Wildcats Face Another Loss

USM then played Mayo High School of Rochester, Minnesota, a high-powered 1AA team.  The Spartans beat the Wildcats 6-1.  Kate Rose Nell beat Ecker in number 1 singles 5-7, 7-6(4) (11-9).  Marika Pitot beat Buchanan in a 2 singles match, 6-2, 6-1 and Kylie Boyer handed Chrobak a 6-1, 6-2 loss in number 3 singles.  Once again Veitinger was USM’s only winner in the match.  She beat Christina Hagan 6-2, 2-6 (11-9) in the 4 singles match.

In doubles Mayo’s Paige Becker and Jaqueline Cliby beat Kelly and Wigdale 6-4, 6-3 in number 1 doubles play.  In 2 doubles Meryl Nath and Delaney Edwards beat USM’s Harris and Flanary 6-0, 7-6 (5).  Lauren Cattaneo and Mary Renault beat Gillespie and Black in number 3 doubles 6-4, 6-4.

In Saturday’s flights, USM’s Ecker won the number one singles consolation. Ecker lost the first round to Melanie Yates 6-1, 7-5 of Mound View, Minnesota.  Ecker then regained her winning form and beat Danielle Mendoza of Lake Forest High School 6-0, 6-3.  She finished the tournament by beating Boyer of Rochester Mayo, 6-4, 0-6 (10-4).

In the second singles flight Chrobak lost the first round to Jenna Czarnecki of O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. 6-4, 6-2.  Chrobak was unable to continue the tournament after that due to injury.

In third singles USM’s Black lost the first round to Summer Brills of Mound View, 6-0, 6-0. She then lost the next match to Jeanne Kregness of Minnetonka High School in Minnesota by a 6-2, 6-2 score. 

In the number 4 singles flight, USM’s Veitinger lost to Minnetonka’s Emily Livingston, 6-0, 6-1. But she then beat Edgewood’s Seibert, 6-0, 6-2 before losing in the consolation championship to Mayo’s Hagan, 6-1, 6-1.

In the number 1 doubles flight, USM’s Kelly and Buchanan won their first round match against O’Gorman’s Mary Prouse and Sidney Bower, 6-0, 6-0.  The Wildcat pair then lost to Maya MacGibbon and Sydney Baldwin of Minnetonka, 6-3, 6-1.  But Kelly and Buchanan won third place for USM by defeating Mound View’s Paige Thayer and Catie Meinen, 6-4, 6-3.

USM also took third place in number 2 doubles. Harris and Wigdale began the day by beating O’Gorman’s Izzy Townsend and Taylor Moran 6-4, 6-1, but they then lost to Mayo’s Edwards and Nath, 6-3, 4-6, (10-6).  In the third place match Harris and Wigdale beat Minnetonka’s Adrienne Irmer and Theresa Tebon 6-4, 6-0.

USM won the number 3 doubles flight.  Flanary and Gillespie beat O’Gorman’s Anna Gaspari and Katie McLaughlin 6-4, 6-4.  They then beat Edina’s Kleusner and Ware 6-4, 6-3 and won the flight finals by beating Mayo’s Renault and Catteneo 6-3, 6-1.

After 4 days of intense tournament competition, the Wildcats return to USM for a dual match.  The competition will not be easy, however, as the Wildcats face Divine Savior Holy Angels, a Division 1 school, in a match on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.