Superior-Alberton shuts out Eureka 6-0

SUPERIOR - The Superior-Alberton tennis team was able to dominantly swat away Eureka at home, 6-0 in one match.

Although the sunshine was bright and warm at the beginning of competition, the weather on April 12 quickly turned to a brisk chill as the second match was cancelled on account of rain.

However, the normally empty courts just in front of Superior High School were alive as tennis was hosted in Superior the only time on the 15-match schedule.

In singles competition, Hailie Baum of Superior-Alberton defeated Lacey Marquardt, 6-0, 6-0; Heather Kelly of Superior-Alberton defeated Jocelyn Frasier, 6-0, 6-0; Sophia Williams of Superior-Alberton defeated T’Kaya Byrd-Ennis, 6-2, 6-3; and Alise Ruthford of Superior-Alberton defeated Shaeden Slette, 6-2, 3-6 (10-7).

In doubles, Geneva Plakke and Brittney White of Superior-Alberton defeated the team of Marquardt-Frasier 10-2, and Sammi Francis and MacKenzie Spence defeated Marquardt-Frasier by default.

“I don’t really have any complaints,” said Superior-Alberton Head Coach Rick Berreth. “It would have been nice to get a second match in though before the rain moved in.”

Berreth and the Superior-Alberton squad are now focused on their match not next week, but two weeks from now in Loyola.

“Loyola is definitely a match we are looking forward to,” Berreth said.

Berreth points out that for some teams, looks can be deceiving as most have been shorthanded throughout the season due to other school activities, so it may be hard to judge the competition.

“All we have this week is one match against Ronan, who is a first year school,” Berreth said. “So it’s not like we don’t know what we’re up against this week.”

Berreth was impressed with his team’s shutout performance against Eureka, which he said exceeded his expectations.

“We basically have three experienced girls, one who was a junior varsity player last year,” he said. “Eureka will be better next time as they were missing a girl.”

For now, the season slowly creeps along as there are seven more matches before Superior-Alberton heads to Loyola once more for the divisional tournament. In light of that, the team still has time to get in a groove, given this dominating performance over Eureka.

Tennis requires agility and endurance, and as the days pass and the middle of May approaches, these girls should be ready to take on any competitor, at any given time. 

“It’s a building process, and we’re a very inexperienced team,” he said. “The toughest competitions are going to be ahead of us.”

At the end of the game, the competitors inch their way off the court as the clattering of the gate sounds with every exit. The bright green balls that are scattered all over are collected and returned to their home. Spectators dodge to their cars in succession.  The court that was thriving for the past few hours returns to that of emptiness and longing for when it will host its next tennis match, possibly not for another year.