Bigfork netters double up in duals with WHS

The Daily Inter Lake

WHITEFISH The Whitefish singles and Bigfork doubles played to their strengths in girls tennis Thursday.

The Bulldogs won seven of eight singles matches and the Vals captured three doubles wins as Whitefish posted two 5-2 team victories in a double dual.

On the boys side, Bigfork and Whitefish traded 4-3 wins.

They re strength is in the doubles and ours is in the singles, so there were some lopsided matches, Whitefish girls coach Patrick Dryden said. We only had one match split sets.

I was impressed with Bigfork s doubles. They have two really good teams, but I thought the Whitefish teams hung in there.

On the singles, I ve really got six girls that are playing awesome tennis and I can only play four of them. We re really deep on the singles.

Danni Paulson and Taylor Beach were dominant at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, dropping a combined three games in their four sets. Paulson ran her winning streak to 38 matches with a pair of 6-0, 6-0 wins.

I thought Danni and Taylor established themselves as the premiere players in our conference, Dryden said. Taylor had a quality win over Trisha Smith, a really good doubles player.

Kaia Lock and Ashley Brunette won both of their matches at No. 1 doubles for the Vals, and Smith and Beth Bermel won a No. 2 doubles match in the first dual before playing singles in the second. Bermel defeated Jessie Kuennen in No. 3 singles.

In boys play, both the Vikings and Bigfork shuttled several players between singles and doubles. Laine Averill and Pete Collins won a straight-sets matches at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, and teamed up for a No. 1 doubles win.

Joe Wolstein and Aaron Miles did the reverse, winning at No. 1 doubles then posting victories at Nos. 1 and 2 singles.

We kind of mixed the order up, which I think was a good way for kids to get some different looks, Bulldogs boys coach Michelle Malletta said. I saw some really good play.

Cody Harrison swept David Myers at No. 3 singles, but needed a 16-14 second-set tiebreaker to do it.

The Bulldogs host Polson and Havre on Saturday. Bigfork is at Hamilton and Corvallis on Saturday.

Girls

BULLDOGS 5, VALS 2

Singles Danni Paulson, WF, def. Rebecca Buffington 6-0, 6-0; Taylor Beach, WF, def. Cassie Keller 6-0, 6-0; Jessie Kuennen, WF, def. Joanna Tegoli 6-0, 6-1; Molly Lauterbach, WF, def. Hermina Harold 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles Kaia Lock/Ashley Brunette, BF, def. Allie Connelly/Kelsi Peace 6-0, 6-4; Trisha Smith/Beth Bermel, BF, def. Kyla Salisbury/Maresa Jenson 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; Kyla Roy/Brie Barber, WF, def. Breanna Hughes/Stephanie Sherman 6-4, 6-3.

BULLDOGS 5, VALS 2

Singles Paulson, WF, def. Buffington 6-0, 6-0; Beach, WF, def. Smith 6-1, 6-2; Bermel, BF, def. Kuennen 6-2, 6-1; Brielle Menegazzi, WF, def. Harold 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles Lock/Brunette, BF, def. Salisbury/Jenson 7-5, 6-2; Connelly/Peace, WF, def. Hughes/Sherman 6-1, 6-2; Sabrya Martin/Lauterbach, WF, def. Tegoli/Keller 6-1, 6-0.

Exhibition Menegazzi, WF, def. Buffington 10-2.

Boys

VIKINGS 4, BULLDOGS 3

Singles Laine Averill, BF, def. Izaak Opatz 6-2, 6-2; Pete Collins, BF, def. Kyle Archer 6-3, 6-4; Ben James, WF, def. Matt Roberts 6-0, 6-2; Ian Hosek, WF, def. Morgan Cawdrey 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles Joe Wolstein/Aaron Miles, BF, def. Ryan Rottenbiller/Cody Harrison 6-1, 6-0; Cy Murer/Owen Roberts, BF, def. Brendan Viscomi/Kyle Jacobson 6-3, 6-4; Kris Archer/Ben Hilliboe, WF, def. Tyler Butz/David Myers 6-4, 6-2.

BULLDOGS 4, VIKINGS 3

Singles Wolstein, BF, def. Opatz 6-2, 7-6 (7-5); Miles, BF, def. Rottenbiller 7-5, 6-2; Harrison, WF, def. Myers 6-4, 7-6 (16-14); Hosek, WF, def. Butz 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles Averill/Collins, BF, def. Kyle Archer/James 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Kris Archer/Hilliboe, WF, def. Murer/O. Roberts 6-3, 6-1; Viscomi/Jacobson, WF, def. Cawdrey/M. Roberts 4-6 6-0, 6-3.