Three Cats advance to state
The Lady Bobcats had three single players finish in second, fourth and fifth place at the Southwestern B-C Divisional tennis tournament at Superior Friday and Saturday to earn a spot in the state finals.
Michelle Hapa’kova’ went 3-1 at the tournament to finish in second place. “Michelle played a really smart tournament for us,” said Superior coach Rick Berreth. He said she really had a nice stroke and her top spin was really working.
Hapa’kova’ started the tournament with an easy victory over Loyola’s Libby Kosena Friday. Hapa’kova’ only dropped one game in the match, winning 6-0, 6-1. Hapa’kova’ finished Friday by beating Darby’s Miriam Bender 6-3, 6-3.
In the semifinal match Saturday, Hapa’kova’ defeated the Lady Tigers’ top-seeded singles player Shelby Rogala. “That was a real nice win for us.” said Berreth. “None of us had beaten her this year,” he said. In the final match, Hapa’kova’ lost in two sets to Darby’s Hannah Honey, 6-0, 6-2. Honey went 4-0 in the tournament and Berreth said she was “clearly the class of the field.”
The Lady Bobcats top-seeded singles player Nicole Lucier went 3-2 at the tournament to finish in fourth place. Lucier started the tournament with two victories Friday. Lucier beat Sierra Gandy of Darby 6-2 in two sets and then defeated Valley Christian’s Jessica Manuel in three sets, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
In the semifinal match Saturday, Lucier lost to Honey 6-3 in two sets. Lucier rebounded by defeating Lady Tiger Bender 6-3, 6-2, but dropped the consolation match to Rogala 7-5, 6-3. Berreth said that the senior should do better next week. “Nicole could have a really good state tournament,” he said. Berreth said Lucier went to state last year and the experience should help her, but what should really help her is the surface of the University of Montana courts. He said Lucier is a different player on the University’s court, just last week defeating Honey 6-4, 7-5 on them.
Alex Conrow went 4-2 at the tournament for the Bobcats to finish in fifth place. Berreth said Conrow’s approach to the game at the tournament is what impressed him the most. “She’s always had a really good stroke, but now she conquered the mental part of it,” he said. “It was incredible to see the metamorphous,” he added. Berreth said that Conrow changed her philosophy and finally realized that “every point doesn’t have to be pretty.”
Conrow started the tournament with a easy victory, not dropping a single game against Heart Breaker Tessa Pearson, winning 6-0 in both sets. Conrow then dropped her match to Honey. After narrowly losing the first set to Honey 7-5, Conrow dropped the second set 6-0.
Conrow won her first two matches Saturday. She defeated fellow teammate Kiana Cox 6-1, 6-2 and then beat Manuel 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. After dropping the match to Rogala 6-2, 6-3, Conrow took fifth place by defeating Bender 6-3, 6-2.
With three of the Bobcats’ four singles player placing in the top five and advancing to the state tournament, Berreth said he was happy with the divisional tournament. “That was an excellent singles tournament for us,” he said. “The most important thing is they get the chance next week to do better,” he said. The state tournament will be at the University of Montana May 15-17.
The two Bobcat doubles teams didn’t fare as good as the single players, with both teams dropping both their matches Friday. Sami Woodard and Kaylee Crabb started the tournament with a 6-3, 6-4-loss to Darby’s Tara Sullivan and Christie Krosch. They then dropped their match against Hannah Bigelow and Rebecca Nielson 7-5, 6-3.
Leah Best and Sarah Wuebkas lost to Natalie Krostick and Ashley Peltier 6-4, 6-3 and Valley Christian’s Bekah King and Heidi Cross 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Darby won the tournament with 40 points. Superior came in second with 30 and Valley Christian came in third with 20 and Loyola Sacred Heart came in fourth with a total of 14 points.
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