October 31, 2018 at 11:41 a.m.
Team review: RHS girls' tennis
Conference comeback caps incredible season for Hodag netters
Team review: RHS girls' tennis
How Rhinelander avenged last year's GNC loss to Antigo, which snapped a string of seven straight conference titles for the Hodags, will ultimately be how the 2018 season is remembered.
The Hodags were in catch-up mode much of the second half of the season following a 4-3 loss Sept. 6 at Antigo, which hinged on a couple of three-set defeats. The Robins gifted the lead back to the Hodags the week of the conference tournament with a 4-3 loss to Wausau Newman, but stormed back into the lead when Rhinelander faltered in a number of flights in the conference semifinals.
Needing to run the table in their final matches, at the GNC tourney Sept. 26 at Lakeland, the Hodags came through with some of their finest tennis. The Hodags won their last match in all seven flights. A dramatic 10-8 victory in a super tiebreaker by Emma Roberts over Antigo's Ellie Kelly at No. 2 singles in the last match of the tournament proved to be the difference as the Hodags defeated Antigo for the conference title by two points.
Coach Bob Heideman said the story of the 2018 Hodags and how they won the conference title will be one to remember.
"It is a story that, when they're older, I think the players will be able to say, 'One time, this is what happened,' and it will be a neat story," he said last month at the team's banquet.
Aside from Rhinelander's conference title, here are five other key points about the 2018 season.
One for the books
In terms of on-court success, 2018 will go down as a banner year for Hodag tennis under Heideman's watch.
The team got off to an unprecedented 14-0 start, which included victories at the Wausau West and Wisconsin Rapids invite, and a title in the Hodags' home quad. Rhinelander added a win over Green Bay Southwest for good measure, something the Hodags had not done previously under Heideman.
Overall, the Hodags went 22-4, finished second in a WIAA subsectional that included the entire Wisconsin Valley Conference and qualified for sectionals in two flights.
"This was not a run-of-the mill season," Heideman said. "These girls did something that has not been equaled."
Seniors' stand
According to Heideman, a big part of the success could be attributed to the play and leadership of the Hodags' four seniors - Roberts, Haley Seefeldt, Alexis Pyrchalla and Savannah Chartier.
All four had their own accolades in 2018. Roberts had the conference-championship clincher at No. 2 singles, Seefeldt qualified for sectionals with No. 1 doubles partner Annika Johnson while Pyrchalla and Chartier were part of doubles teams that claimed the top seed in the GNC tournament at the Nos. 2 and 3 flights.
"They came in as a group of girls with really no (tennis) background," Heideman said. "They came in together and after their freshman year, they had their sights set on doing something in the program. When they stepped into the varsity positions their junior year they took a little dent because I think they're proud individuals and they wanted to take that (conference) title. But, in the end, I think that provided the motivation to win this title. It was especially sweet how it came about."
Fresh faces
With eight varsity starters returning from last year, the Hodags didn't have many holes to fill in their lineup. The voids they had were successfully filled by freshmen - Johnson and Kaylee Pontell.
Johnson stepped in for the graduated Livi Roberts and No. 1 doubles and went a combined 17-14 on the season with Seefeldt, which included a trip to the sectional round.
"I think Annika has grown up thinking, 'I'm going to be a singles player.' It took a little convincing, but she took one for the team there," Heideman remarked during the team's banquet. "About midseason they started turning around and began to gel as a doubles team. That's just part of the growing, going to sectionals and playing these teams. I think it was a year of improvement."
Pontell went on to post the team's best record, 27-3 at the No. 4 singles flight, which included a GNC championship and a runner-up finish at sectionals.
Heideman said Pontell's game was suited to the No. 4 singles flight, as she returned a high rate of shots, outlasted her opponents and took advantage when they made errors.
"Kaylee was a master at this strategy and she just wore people down doing it - 27 of them," Heideman said.
Tough at the top
Only one player finished with a sub-.500 record on the season, junior Alex Oestreich at the No. 1 singles position. She went 13-17 on the season, which Heideman called a baptism by fire, after making the leap from No. 2 singles last season.
"I think for Alex the year could be summed up as it's much different looking at the No. 1 from the No. 2 spot than being the No. 1," Heideman said, noting that Oestreich played 13 state qualifiers this season, including a pair of matches against eventual WIAA Division 2 state singles champion Mia Larrain of Wausau Newman. "You're playing good players, great players match after match after match ... Alex got better as the season went on from playing these better players. That's a testament to her."
What's next
The Hodags will return most of their singles lineup, with Oestreich, No. 3 singles conference champ Kenedy Van Zile and Pontell. Johnson, Madi Losch and Jackie Wells will all return in doubles, but will be looking for new partners entering next year with the graduation of Seefeldt, Pyrchalla and Chartier.
Expect Rhinelander to reload, however, as it has four varsity reserves waiting in the wings. Kathryn Borski, Izzy Haverkampf, Jaiden Theil and Lisa White made some spot starts on varsity this year and went a combined 86-4 in JV/varsity reserve matches on the season.
"Oddly enough, we are losing four seniors. So it's no coincidence there that, hopefully, they'll be able to fill those shoes that the seniors are leaving," Heideman said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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