MEDFORD GIRLS TENNIS - Raiders get rolling with two GNC wins, 4-1 trip to Altoona

MEDFORD GIRLS TENNIS

After dropping its first two matches against Great Northern Conference contenders Lakeland and Stevens Point Pacelli, things have swung the other way for Medford’s girls tennis team with six wins in seven matches in a six-day span.

The latest win in that run came Tuesday when Medford swept away Antigo 7-0 on the MASH courts to improve to 2-2 in league play.

Lineup adjustments made over the weekend in Altoona continued to pay off in Tuesday’s dual as the Raiders won all seven matches in straight sets. The seven wins upped Medford’s GNC point total to 34, which in that sense, puts the Raiders atop the league standings, though the Raiders have also played more duals than anyone else in the conference so far.

One of the key changes to the lineup has senior Grace Holmes moving from numbertwo singles to number-one doubles with senior Indya Mann. They improved to 3-2 together Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Antigo’s Anna Vandeweerd and Evie Trabant-McKenna.

Seniors Hannah Dahl and Sydnie Peterson filled the number-two doubles spot Tuesday and got a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win over Matty Ratliff and Faith Cassetta. Dahl and Peterson had a big finish, rallying from a 5-2 deficit in the second set.

In flight three, Lily Holmes and Rachel Daniels controlled their match with Evie Lucht and Maggie Neufeld 6-2, 6-2.

Audrey Ruesch improved to 5-3 for the year at number-one singles with a 6-0, 6-0 clean sweep of Antigo’s Hailey Burhop. Bumping up now to the two-spot, Natalie Preuss moved to 4-1 there and 6-3 overall with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Antigo’s Elyse Packard.

At number-three, Raider junior Makenna Tlusty remained unbeaten with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Lily Baumgartner. Tlusty is 5-0 in flightthree matches and 3-0 in flight-four matches.

According to head coach Jake Bucki, senior Emily Kiselicka was a key piece in the changes as she emerged as a reliable numberfour singles player over the weekend. She moved to 4-1 in that spot Tuesday with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Addison Burhop.

Now 6-3 overall, the Raiders have an intriguing GNC matchup today, Thursday, at Rhinelander. The Hodags are 1-1 in league play and are an annual title contender, but Bucki feels his team can certainly give them a run.

From there, Medford has a week off until hosting Newman Catholic Sept. 12.

4-1 at Altoona

Medford had a strong showing at the twoday Altoona Invitational, going 2-1 on Friday and 2-0 on Saturday to tie West Salem for the best record in the six-team field.

West Salem was the only team to beat Medford. That came Friday in a 5-2 defeat. Tlusty won her number-three singles match 6-4, 6-1 over Emily Graham and Bayley Metz and Chloe Kapitz teamed up for a 6-1, 5-7, 103 win over Suzannah Clements and Leah Leren at number-three doubles.

Ruesch and Mann played together at number- one doubles and were beaten 6-2, 6-1 by Dylynn Bayer and Emily Bell. Gabrielle Bauer and Alexis Trochinski beat Lily Holmes and Daniels 6-2, 6-3 in flight two.

Megan Johnson was a 6-1, 6-2 over Grace Holmes at number-one singles, Kendall Sullivan defeated Preuss in flight two 6-1, 6-1 and Sophia Breier beat Kiselicka 6-3, 6-4 in flight four.

The highlight of Friday was beating Onalaska Luther 4-3. Medford was 0-4 against the Knights in previous matchups in this event.

The Raiders were 3-1 in singles matches. While Ruesch was beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Emma Kolb at the top, Preuss beat Payton Holub 64, 6-3, Tlusty won a three-set thriller over Kate Elliot 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 and Kiselicka beat Annaliese Bruns 7-5, 6-2.

Lily Holmes and Daniels clinched the team win with their 6-3, 6-3 win over Lauren Struemke and Claire Rupprecht at numberthree doubles. Julia Larson and Karly Miller edged Mann and Grace Holmes 6-4, 6-4 and Kenzie Olson and Keira Paus got by Dahl and Peterson 6-4, 6-4.

Medford capped the first day by sweeping Unity-Luck 7-0. The only close set came at number-two singles where Kiselicka won the tiebreaker 7-5 to take the first set 7-6 over Breeyn Nelson. Kiselicka closed out that match in set two 6-1. Ruesch beat Christine Bertsch 6-0, 6-1. Preuss shut out Addie Snook 6-0, 6-0 at number-three and Tallula Hahn got a chance to play in flight four and she swept Jennifer Wallner 6-0, 6-0.

Mann and Grace Holmes and Peterson and Lily Holmes won their doubles matches 6-0, 6-0, while Metz and Kapitz won their number-three match 6-1, 6-0.

On Saturday, Medford earned another rare win for the program, defeating a rebuilding Altoona squad 5-2. The win included a singles sweep.

Ruesch took care of Caroline Frie 6-2, 6-0, Preuss downed Brynn Bauman 6-3, 6-0, Tlusty beat Shelby Ruth 6-3, 6-1 and Kiselicka got a three-set win over Rylan Lutteke 6-1, 2-6, 10-6.

Lily Holmes and Daniels took the number- three doubles match 6-3, 6-4 over Hudson Rosentrater and Ellie Haug 6-3, 6-4. Addie Peters and Sheyenne Her beat Mann and Grace Holmes 6-2, 6-4 and Elyse McCaffrey and Lucy Day beat Dahl and Peterson 6-0, 76 (4).

Medford also swept Bloomer 7-0 on Saturday. Grace Holmes and Mann won a good number-one doubles match 6-2, 6-4 over Katie Rogatzki and Brooke Ordiway, while Dahl and Peterson and Metz and Kapitz were 6-0, 6-0 winners.

In singles, Ruesch beat Eva Nelson 6-2, 63, Preuss beat Kyilee Schwenk 6-2, 6-2, Tlusty beat Lacie Grant 6-0, 6-3 and Kiselicka rolled past Jenna Bronstad 6-2, 6-1.

Medford 7, Phillips 0

On Thursday, Medford earned its first win of the fall, crushing the visiting Phillips Loggers 7-0 in GNC play.

The Raiders switched things up a bit in the doubles lineup. Lily Holmes and Kapitz bumped up from flight three to flight one and got a 6-4, 6-3 win over Ariel Henney and Ivy Schlub. Mann and Dahl slid down to flight three and won 6-1, 6-0 over Natalie Grzywnowicz and Elsie Bending.

Peterson and Metz got their first shot in flight two and they came through with a 7-6 (2), 6-2 win over Kaitlyn Matthewson and Saige Stein.

Medford’s singles lineup had absolutely no trouble.

Ruesch was a 6-1, 6-0 winner over Amanda Angelo. Grace Holmes swept Audrey Hueckman 6-0, 6-0; Preuss swept Maddie Makovsky 6-0, 6-0 and Tlusty swept Hallie Hueckman 6-0, 6-0.

Medford’s Sydnie Peterson watches her racket meet the ball while serving during numbertwo doubles play Tuesday. Peterson and Hannah Dahl won their match as Medford swept the Antigo Red Robins 7-0. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS