September 1, 2022 at 2:52 p.m.
Hodag tennis back in GNC race with back-to-back wins
Hodag tennis back in GNC race with back-to-back wins
The Hodags followed a 7-0 sweep of Medford in Rhinelander on Monday with a 5-2 victory over last year's conference runner-up, Pacelli, Tuesday in Stevens Point. With the wins, the Hodags (9-11, 2-1 Great Northern) vaulted from sixth in the conference standings to second. Rhinelander now sits only two points behind Lakeland, which stunned the Hodags 6-1 in the conference opener.
"It really goes to show how much these girls have improved and the mentality that they want it and that they're going to work for it. It's fun to watch," Hodag coach Matt Nichols said after Tuesday's match.
A retooled doubles lineup paid off for Rhinelander against a pair of programs that are historically strong in doubles. Nichols kept the Taylor Riopel/Helena Wisner pairing together in the top flight after they played together last Friday in Wausau. Paige Oleinik and Kayla Tessman played at No. 2. Both tandems earned straight set wins in Monday's and Tuesday's matches.
"I think the pairings are working out nicely," Nichols said. "Chemistry-wise, I think they, honestly, might both be closer. Friends can be good doubles players, but it's not always the best friends. I think they're really started to communicate well with their partner. They're really meshing well both at No. 1 and 2."
Oleinik and Tessman were pushed, especially on Tuesday, as they held off Pacelli's Anabelle Arnold and Alaina Sbonik in a three-set match, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
"I walked out there going into the third set and Paige looked at me and she's just like, 'We've got this. I am not going to lose this.' They did just that," Nichols said. "Pacelli, we know they're good doubles players. That second set they were just aggressive at the net. We couldn't get around them, so we weren't putting it away. That third set we were able to kind of clean up our act, keep the ball away from the net player and starting to light them up at the net.
The Hodags got a three-set win from their No. 3 doubles team of Olivia Jones and Amber Bramm on Monday to clinch the sweep over the Raiders. They broke Medford's serve in the 12th game of the third set to prevail over Chloe Werner and Kierstyn Halopka 5-7, 6-0, 7-5.
"They cruised through the second set 6-0 and they just stopped making some of the errors they previously were and they were volleying super well," Nichols said. "It was classic doubles -good serve and then a putaway from the net player."
Sophomore Dawsyn Barkus picked up a pair of tight victories at No. 4 singles, edging Medford's Christine Czeshinska 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 Monday and Pacelli's Cabrini Brandl 7-5, 7-5 Tuesday.
"Dawsyn, just focusing on consistency," Nichols said. "She had a really big first serve that gets her into games if she's every down. When she hits those, she usually gets the points. It was nice to see not only her strokes being there and that consistency, but the competitive mindset, just hustling everything down and sticking in those points."
Kelsey Winter and Shayla Coppenger were straight-set winners in both of their matches early this week. Winter knocked off Pacelli's Lauren Loesl 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday. Loesl was the GNC runner-up to Rhinelander's Kaylee Pontell at No. 2 singles last season.
"With all the games that she's played at that position, she's really grown into it," Nichols said. "She played a tough opponent and it was nice to see her get a win. I think that's the best I've ever seen her play."
Tori Riopel beat Medford's Morgan Huegli 6-2, 6-3 on Monday, but lost to Pacelli's Natalie Cooper 6-1, 6-0 on Tuesday. Jones and Bramm lost 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3 double Tuesday to Pacelli's Shannon Lepak and Lucy Gwidt.
The conference standings are still jumbled early in the season. Lakeland held a 28-26 lead over the Hodags following Tuesday's play. Marshfield Columbus was third with 20 points, while Medford and Pacelli both had 14 points. However, Columbus, Pacelli and Medford had all played one fewer conference match than the two leaders.
Either way, with each individual match in dual meet play worth two points, Nichols said it is encouraging that the Hodags have been able to pick up some tight victories of late.
"We had the tight matches with Lakeland we couldn't close, but we were able to do that tonight and it's nice to see that growth mentally in their game," he said.
The Hodags hosted Phillips Thursday in a match that concluded after press time. Rhinelander is back in action Sept. 8 at Wausau Newman.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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