September 15, 2017 at 2:05 p.m.
Hodag netters blank Lakeland to keep pace in GNC
Hodag netters blank Lakeland to keep pace in GNC
The Hodags, who have won seven straight conference championships, essentially held serve Thursday with a 7-0 sweep of Lakeland at the RHS tennis courts. Antigo swept the Thunderbirds two days earlier in Minocqua and, through Thursday's play, still hold a 16-point lead on the Hodags in the conference standings.
"We're in as good of a position as we can be, given what's happened in the past," Hodag coach Bob Heideman said.
Antigo clinched first place in the standings heading into next Saturday's GNC tournament with a 7-0 victory over Marshfield Columbus Thursday. The Hodags had a chance to cut into that deficit Friday when they played Medford in a make-up match that concluded after deadline.
Even though Rhinelander outmatched Lakeland on paper Thursday, Heideman said the Hodags handled the pressure well, knowing they needed to win every match to keep up with Antigo.
"I liked how we played tonight. Even though it was Phillips (on Tuesday) and Lakeland, there's been a certain amount of pressure on the girls," he said. "I think they've responded well to it. Tomorrow's going to be a stiffer test, but we're where we want to be."
Rhinelander fought off a pair of Lakeland threats in the top flights to secure the sweep. At No. 1 doubles, the Hodag tandem of Livi Roberts and Haley Seefeldt raced out to a 5-2 first-set lead before losing four games in a row to Lakeland's Reilly Coon and Hayley Fieck. Roberts and Seefeldt won the next game to force a tiebreaker, won the tiebreaker 7-5 and took the second set 6-2.
"Once we hit the ball soft enough, that equalizes things," Heideman said explaining how Lakeland rallied against his top doubles team. "Lakeland could then hit its lobs and then it's who get four or five balls back in a point. That's not our doubles and, again, that equalizes the match and that's how they came back."
Over at No. 1 singles, after taking the first set 6-2, Rhinelander's Belinda Weddle found herself trailing to Lakeland's Riley Curtis 0-4 in the second set. The Hodag senior responded by winning seven of the next eight games to take the match.
"Belinda just had a bad beginning to a set and I give her credit for sticking with it and not giving up that set," Heideman said. "To be down 4-0 to come back and win 7-5, you've got to win seven out of eight games. I think that's something to build on."
Alex Oestreich defeated Morgan Ahrens 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. Oestreich has now defeated Ahrens twice in a row after losing to Ahrens three times a season ago at No. 4 singles.
"That's a solid match for Alex," Heideman said. "I know I've said this before, but she covers the court better than she did at the beginning of the season and, as a result, she gets many more balls back."
Emma Roberts and Kenedy Van Zile dropped one game total in their two matches to complete the singles sweep for Rhinelander. Madi Losch and Alexis Pyrchalla were 6-2, 6-2 winners at No. 2 doubles while Lisa White and Jackie Wells won at No. 3 doubles 6-1, 6-3.
"I think for No. 2 doubles, the 6-2, 6-2 that's an indication that they're making less errors," Heideman said. "For a stint there, they were making enough errors that the opposition could just pick up games. Here, these were solid sets."
Pending the results of Friday's Rhinelander-Medford dual, the Hodags will be anywhere from two to 16 points behind Antigo entering the conference tourney next Saturday in Antigo.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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