MEDFORD GIRLS TENNIS - Conference contenders top Medford in first two tennis meets

MEDFORD GIRLS TENNIS

As expected, Stevens Point Pacelli’s singles lineup was tough Tuesday and the Cardinals got two doubles wins as well in a 5-2 Great Northern Conference win over Medford’s girls tennis team.

In its home opener on the MASH courts, Medford got wins from Makenna Tlusty at number-four singles and Lily Holmes and Chloe Kapitz at number-three doubles.

Tlusty improved to 2-0 with a hard-earned 7-5, 6-4 win over Pacelli’s Megan Peterson. Holmes and Kapitz got their first win together by taking care of Caitlyn Yarbrough and Isla Wojtalewicz in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.

It can be argued that Pacelli has the toughest trio in the GNC at the top of its singles lineup and Medford was unable to stop that buzzsaw.

Defending GNC Player of the Year Natalie Cooper was a 6-1, 6-0 winner over Medford senior Audrey Ruesch in flight one. Lauren Loesl, last year’s GNC runner-up in flight two, swept Raider senior Grace Holmes 6-0, 6-0. Defending flight-three champion Morgan Matowitz, just a sophomore, got tested early by Medford senior Natalie Preuss but pulled away for a 6-4, 6-1 win.

In doubles, Medford’s Indya Mann and Hannah Dahl had a chance to take the first set in their flight-one match with Pacelli’s Anabelle Arnold and Reese Abel, but the Cardinals won the tiebreaker 7-4 to take the set 7-6 and then closed out the match 6-1. Samantha Schoepke and Reagan Abel downed Medford’s Rachel Daniels and Emily Kiselicka at number-two 6-2, 6-2.

Pacelli improved to 2-0 in GNC play and 4-1 overall, while the Raiders are 0-2 after two matches.

Medford is back at home today, Thursday, for a GNC meet with Phillips at 4:30 p.m. Good competition for Medford will follow this weekend at the two-day Altoona Invitational. Medford hosts Antigo Tuesday and visits Rhinelander on Sept. 5 as it quickly progresses through its GNC dual-meet schedule.

T-Birds 6, Raiders 1

In a tough assignment to start the season Thursday, Medford was beaten 6-1 by defending Great Northern Conference champion Lakeland on the Thunderbirds’ home courts.

Head coach Jake Bucki said Friday, the Raiders played better than the overall score indicated. Some inexperience just caught Medford in a few matches.

Tlusty picked up Medford’s lone win and she had to work overtime to get it. The junior took a back-and-forth number-four singles match 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 over Lakeland’s Ellie Baker.

The Raiders had a couple chances to add wins in doubles play but fell a little short.

In flight three, Lily Holmes and Kapitz, playing together for the first time, took Lakeland’s Chance Jacobs and Elise Lamers to the limit. The Raiders sent the first set to a tiebreaker, which Lakeland won 7-4 to take the set 7-6. Holmes and Kapitz came back for a 6-4 win in set two, before the T-Birds outlasted them in the 10-point match tiebreaker 11-9.

Seniors Daniels and Kiselicka teamed up for the first time in flight two and pushed Lakeland’s Lila Biller and Alyssa Erickson, but the T-Birds won 6-4, 7-5.

Lakeland seniors Kristina Ouimette and Ali Timmerman rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Mann and Dahl in the top doubles flight.

In singles play, Sarah Barton was a 6-0, 63 winner in flight one over Ruesch, Norah Strassburg downed Grace Holmes 6-2, 6-1 at number-two and Sierra Wallace was a 6-0, 63 winner over Preuss in flight three.