September 6, 2017 at 1:53 p.m.
Robins flip GNC tennis race, beat Hodags 5-2
Robins flip GNC tennis race, beat Hodags 5-2
This year's conference race took a significant turn Tuesday as Antigo swept doubles and defeated the Hodags 5-2 in Antigo. Rhinelander still maintains a 10-point lead on the Red Robins in the conference standings, but has played one more conference match than Antigo so far this season. A team can earn up to 14 points by winning all seven flights in a match.
"It will be an uphill battle to take conference from here," Hodag coach Bob Heideman said. "There's not much room for error. How the team reacts to the loss will be crucial to our chances."
Rhinelander defeated Antigo 4-3 when the teams met Aug. 31 in Rhinelander, but both sides tweaked their lineups for the rematch and Antigo got the better of the adjustments.
Antigo moved Avery Nickelson to No. 4 singles where she knocked off Rhinelander's Kenedy Van Zile, 6-2, 6-4. Van Zile was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Adie Smith in last week's match.
Smith moved up to No. 3 singles, where she was swept 6-0, 6-0 by Rhinelander's Emma Roberts. The move allowed Antigo to move No. 3 singles player Sam Belling down to No. 3 doubles where she and Jenna Lenzner defeated Savannah Chartier and Jackie Wells 6-4. 7-5. The Hodag tandem defeated Lenzner and Julia Westen 6-4, 6-2 five days prior in Rhinelander.
"I give a lot of credit to Antigo," Heideman said. "They came out with some belief and fire. They changed their lineup and they dug up two more wins than last Thursday."
Rhinelander, meanwhile, tinkered with the lineup at No. 2 doubles, moving Lisa White into a tandem with Madi Losch. The two were defeated in straight sets by Pia Spychalla and Sydney Lenzer 6-2, 6-4. Losch and Alexis Pyrchalla went three sets with the same Antigo duo during the Aug. 31 match.
The Hodags split a pair of three-set matches Tuesday. Alex Oestreich beat Antigo's Ellie Kelly for the second time in five days at No. 2 singles, rallying for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 victory. Livi Roberts and Haley Seefeldt dropped a three-setter to Antigo's Taylor Arrowood and Abby Robrecht 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-2 at No. 1 doubles.
"Alex has made it a habit to be the last one to finish in the dark and she did it again (against Antigo)," Heideman said. "Three things stood out in her match. She is getting more consistent depth on her shots, she is getting to more shots and her points are consistently lasting longer. All of those improvements have something to do with the late finishes.
"At No. 1 doubles, the scores were encouraging. After a two-set loss in the first match, they were able to extend it to three sets. They continue to eliminate a couple errors per match which helps them take advantage of when their opponents have an off game and they play through their mistakes they do make. They don't let them drag them down."
The Hodags have matches against Medford, Phillips and Lakeland remaining in GNC play before the conference tournament Sept. 23 in Antigo.
Green Bay Southwest Invite
The Hodags went 1-2 over the weekend at the rain-shortened Green Bay Southwest Invitational.
Rhinelander lost to host Southwest 5-2 Friday evening before splitting a pair of matches against Wisconsin Valley Conference schools Saturday. The Hodags beat Marshfield and lost to Stevens Point by matching 6-1 scores.
Rhinelander was originally scheduled to play one more match Saturday, but could not get it in before the rains came.
"Traveling south always means tough competition and this year was no exception," Heideman said. "Perhaps the most encouraging comments came on the ride home when several players lamented the fact we did not get in the fourth match. That attitude gets you better and that's what this meet was about. That's what we want this team to be about."
Van Zile went 3-0 for the weekend at No. 4 singles, defeating Green Bay Southwest's Isabella McNaulton, Stevens Point's Sierra Hefferan and Marshfield's Emma Michelek in straight sets.
"There's a couple girls at this point of the season I would vote most improved and Kenedy is in that small group," Heideman said. "Her game has taken a big bump since the beginning of the season. At No. 4 singles she can get back a lot of balls, her first serve can get some easy points, and she works her opponents around the court pretty well."
Emma Roberts went 2-1 at No. 3 singles, picking up wins against Marshfield and Green Bay Southwest. She nearly went 3-0, but dropped a third-set supertiebreaker, 10-8 to SPASH's Allison Rust.
"Emma Roberts is also making strides," Heideman noted. "She is gaining confidence in her game. She is beginning to see if she sticks with it, she can pull out the close ones."
Weddle and Oestreich completed a single sweep for Rhinelander against Marshfield. Livi Roberts/Seefeldt and Pyrchalla/Chartier were winners at No. 3 doubles.
Rhinelander will travel to Medford on Thursday.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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