August 30, 2017 at 1:21 p.m.
Tennis: Hodags rally in top flights, beat Lakeland 7-0
Tennis: Hodags rally in top flights, beat Lakeland 7-0
Belinda Weddle and Alex Oestreich each came back after dropping the first set to win three-setters at Nos. 1 and 2 singles as the Hodags defeated Lakeland 7-0 in Minocqua.
The win keeps the Hodags 14 points ahead of Antigo as the top two conference contenders get set to do battle today in Rhinelander.
"Going in we were confident we would win the match, but the score would be important because Antigo had beaten them 6-1," Hodag coach Bob Heideman said. "In five of the matches we took care of business. The other two were a struggle."
The struggles came in the top flights where Rhinelander and Lakeland players have plenty of history against each other.
Weddle faced Lakeland's Riley Curtis in the top flight. Curtis was the runner-up in the conference to Weddle at No. 3 singles a year ago. The Lakeland senior raced out to a 6-2 victory in the first set, but Weddle came back to take the second, 6-3, and the third, 6-0.
"I was very surprised at how quickly Belinda got down in the first set," Heideman said. "(Curtis) did a good job of blunting Belinda's pace. But as the match wore on Belinda started to move her from side to side and that eventually caused her some problems."
The second singles match was a rematch of last year's conference championship at No. 4 singles between Oestreich and Lakeland's Morgan Ahrens. Ahrens, who defeated Oestreich three times last season on the way to an individual conference title, took the first set 7-5 before the Hodag sophomore found her groove. Oestreich took the second set at love and, after falling behind a break early in the third set, took five of the last six games to claim the match, 6-2.
"There was plenty of motivation there," Heideman said, referencing Oestreich's battles with Ahrens a season ago. "Early in the match Alex was giving away too many points, although she did a good job of staying in the set. Once she kept some more balls in play, it started to have a positive affect. She had a good mixture of safe balls and hitting out shots."
Rhinelander rolled in the other five matches, dropping a total of six games.
Emma Roberts was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Cierra Hayman at No. 3 singles while Kenedy Van Zile completed the singles sweep with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Jaeden Boisvert in the fourth flight.
Haley Seefeldt and Livi Roberts were 6-1, 6-1 winners over Lakeland's Riley Coon and Haley Fieck at No. 1 doubles. Madi Losch and Alexis Pyrchalla defeated Julie Nueberg and Brie Nimsgern by the same score in the second flight.
Savannah Chartier and Lisa White downed Alayna Twelmeyer and Mariah Lear 6-0, 6-1 in the third flight.
The result means Rhinelander and Antigo are practically on even footing in the GNC entering today's showdown, though the Hodags have played one more conference match than the Red Robins at this point of the season. Rhinelander defeated Medford 6-1 and Lakeland 7-0 while Antigo downed Medford 7-0 and Lakeland 6-1.
Each individual match victory is worth two points in the GNC standings.
Today's match gets underway at 4 p.m. at the RHS tennis courts.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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