Wildcats Resume Winning Ways

The University School girls’ tennis team, the defending Division 2 state champion, began its season Saturday by playing in the Arrowhead High School Invitational in Hartland. The Wildcats started 2012 as they ended 2011, by winning.  They defeated all three opponents, Madison Edgewood, Arrowhead and Waukesha West by 6-1 scores.

USM’s head coach Andy Paley said, “We will have to work hard to win again this year.  We have a young team, but we also have some good leadership in seniors Maddy Ecker, Emily Chrobak, Hayley Gebhardt, and Nicole Harris.  Some of our younger players, Caroline Black, Julie Veitinger, and Meredith Short already have experience, and our newcomers, Caroline Taylor, Taylor Benard, and Ali Pollack, have talent. I'm sure the team will jell during the season. We are trying some different combinations right now, but we’ll get it together as the season goes on. I’m looking forward to this year.  It’ll be fun.”

In their first match of the invitational, the Wildcats took on a Division 2 rival, Madison Edgewood. The Wildcats swept the singles matches and dropped only one doubles match. In number 1 singles, USM’s Maddy Ecker beat Sara Murphy, 6-3, 6-4.‬ USM’s Ali Pollack won her first varsity match by rolling past Edgewood’s Lauren Keller, 6-0, 6-1‬ in the number 2 singles match.  Meanwhile in the number 3 singles bout, Emily Chrobak had little trouble beating Grace Seibert of Edgewood, 6-1,6-0‬, and in 4 singles play, USM’s Hayley Gebhardt quickly defeated Kate Zellmer 6-0, 6-3.‬

USM’s only loss to Edgewood came in the 1 doubles match. USM’s Nicole Harris and Caroline Taylor lost to Morgan Molitor and Marieve Vanrybroek 1-6, 6-7 (6-8).‬ In the number 2 doubles contest USM’s Meredith Short and Julia Veitinger beat Maggie Seibert and Mary Grace Carney of Edgewood, 6-1, 6-4‬ In 3 doubles Carly Black and Taylor Benard struggled, but rallied to defeat Toto Muhhs and Gabby Marx 5-7, 6-1,(10-5)‬. In a 4 doubles match that did not affect the results, USM’s Emma Gebhardt and Emma Ross beat Martha Longley and Catherine Smith, 8-6.‬

After the victory over Edgewood, USM took on Arrowhead, a Division 1 team.  The Wildcats disarmed the Warhawks by a 6-1 score.‬ Once again USM’s Ecker won the number 1 singles match. Ecker had to work hard but she defeated Arrowhead’s Emily Kobal, 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, (10-3) ‬.  In 2 singles Pollack knocked off Arrowhead’s Teagan Hipp 6-1, 6-0‬. Chrobak handed Rachel Ross of Arrowhead a 6-4, 6-1‬ loss in the number 3 singles match, and in the 4 singles match, Gebhardt won for USM by defeating Meredith Thomson 6-3, 6-4.‬

Arrowhead’s only victory came in 1 doubles. Abby Kobal and Kali Flesch beat USM’s Harris and Taylor, 6-2, 6-3.  USM won the other two doubles contests.‬  In 2 doubles Short and Veitinger won again as they defeated Caroline Bong and Courtney Shipshock of Arrowhead, 6-0, 6-2‬ and in 3 doubles, Black and Benard beat Arrowhead’s Katie Hinzey and Abbey Lauterbach 7-5,6-3‬

The Wildcats took another Division 1 team, Waukesha West, in their final match of the Invitational.  USM’s coach Paley tried some different people in different positions against the Wolverines, but the results were the same. As they had done in the previous two matches, the Wildcats won 6-1. Paley put freshman Ali Pollack in the number 1 singles match.  The move was successful as Pollack whipped Katelyn Asfeld 6-0, 6-0‬. Playing 2 singles, USM’s Chrobak beat Brittany Asfeld, 6-3, 6-3.‬ USM’s Gebhardt lost to Linnie Lindblom of Waukesha West, 3-6, 1-6 in the 3 singles match. Taylor won the 4 singles match by default.

Playing 1 doubles, Ecker and Harris handed Cat Phauybandhyt and her partner a 6-1, 6-1 drubbing. In the 2 doubles match, Short and Vietinger beat Rachel Gantz and Casey Hoppe 6-3, 6-1, while in 3 doubles, Black and Benard of USM beat Abbi Chobot and Kelly Gold, 8-1.

USM plays again on Tuesday when the Wildcats travel to Brookfield Central High School to participate in the Brookfield East Tournament.  The first match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. The tournament continues on Wednesday.