Hodag tennis downs Columbus, looks to position itself for GNC meet

The Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team helped its cause Thursday as it fights to remain in the top half of the Great Northern Conference.

The Hodags swept singles and took two of three doubles matches in a 6-1 victory over Marshfield Columbus in the Hodag Dome. That win temporarily vaulted Rhinelander to third in the GNC standings, two points ahead of Medford and Wausau Newman.

Rhinelander and Medford were set to play Monday, while Newman still had make-up matches against Antigo and Phillips this week prior to the GNC tournament hosted by Lakeland this coming Thursday.

“If we want to stick in it, we want to match what everyone else is doing, and that’s pretty solid, a 6-1,” Hodag coach Matt Nichols said. “They have a nice No. 1 doubles team and we knew that would be tough on the way in. The girls fought hard there and everyone else took the W. We did what we needed to do.”

Sophomore Sam Aschenbrenner secured the singles sweep for the Hodags as she fended off a comeback from Columbus’s Vivian Graham at No. 4 singles. After Aschenbrenner took the first set 6-0, Graham forced a tiebreaker in the second, which she won 7-0. Aschenbrenner recovered for the 10-point match tiebreaker, which she commanded and won 10-3.

It was Aschenbrenner’s first win in either a set or match tiebreaker in five tries this season. 

“Serve was huge and then some increased consistency. She was struggling a little bit and it looked like she moved a little more, gave it her final push,” Nichols said. “It’s some nice mojo going into the final stretch. Especially at that No. 4 spot, all of those teams are all so close. It might come down to a 10-point tiebreak, and that win right there might be the mental edge she needs moving forward.”

The Hodags ran into a tough No. 1 doubles tandem in Columbus’s Maria Elizabeth Garcia and Akosua Yeboah, who have only one loss on the season so far. The Columbus pair controlled the match as they won 6-1, 6-2.

“You bring the consistency from singles, but I was most impressed with their ability to not only hit the shots, but translate some doubles strategy into their game,” Nichols said. “Then the net play, especially Maria, she had some really nice volleys and they were very aggressive at the net. It was just kind of hard to get around them and outlast them in some of those rallies.”

Kelsey Winter, Karmen Lopez and Maddie Legrey swept the top three flights of singles commandingly, all winning in straight sets. Lopez was back in her customary spot at No. 2 singles Thursday after moving to doubles last Tuesday while dealing with a hand injury.  

“Karmen was still a little unsure with her backhand, but we figured this was a good match to kind of set where she’s at … Her hand, it looks like it’s healing well,” Nichols said. “Kelsey she’s really blending some slice and top, kind of paring those two together to really throw he opponent off, just make them hit a new shot every time. Maddie’s just consistency and her depth. She just out-rallies girls.”

Evelyn Sawyer and Maya Patrick raced past Columbus’s Claire Graham and Mary Keding 6-0, 6-4 at No. 2 doubles. Willow VanDenHeuvel and Eva Heck were 6-1, 6-1 winners over Jade Kuhn and Kate Fieweger in the third flight. 

“No. 2 doubles had a really nice match. When we lost points, I think it was just going for too much at the wrong time, but they both had some great net play and their serves are always solid,” Nichols said. “I’d say kind of similar things at No. 3 doubles. Their net play, they were getting touches, but this was the best I’ve seen them volley. They were putting the ball through the court. Even good players aren’t going to be touching those balls.”

Monday’s match against Medford, rescheduled because of a rainout earlier this month, will likely settle who enters the GNC tournament in fourth in the standings. Nichols said that match, which concluded after press time, would not only be critical for team placement in the conference, but where the Hodags may be seeded in each individual flight leading into Thursday’s conference tournament. 

While the Hodags’ goal of winning a team conference title will be all but mathematically over entering Thursday, Nichols said there’s still plenty on the line when it comes to individual conference placement and setting the stage for subsectional play in early October.

“That’s always a goal, can we finish above where we’re projected to be,” he said. “I think, with the team and their growth throughout the season, that’s very possible at every flight.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].