FAIRMONT — The United South Central Rebels girls tennis team combined for a singles sweep to deliver a 6-1 nonconference loss to the Fairmont Cardinals during the Cardinals’ home opener on Monday.

“We’ve just got young players that need to learn how to handle a player that plays defense and tries to keep the ball in play, tries to get in your head and make you miss. That’s what we ran into today,” Cardinals head coach Eric Johnson said.

Rebels’ No. 1 singles player Carly Weber produced the first point of the meet, beating Claire Nemmers, 6-2, 6-1.

USC’s Class 1A, No. 10-ranked netter Emma Barnd took back-to-back 6-2 set wins against Briana Joseph at the second singles spot.

Keri Eluser contributed the Rebels’ third team point via a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Lauren Green at the fourth singles position.

Cardinals’ No. 3 player Maggy Totzke beat Delaney Weber, 6-3 in the first set, to open the dual meet. Weber answered, however, during the next two sets with consecutive 6-0 wins for the singles sweep.

Brittany Bass moved from singles play and partnered with Bergen Senf to take a 6-1, 6-2 decision over No. 2 double players Alyson Swanson and Trinity Sedorf for the Cardinals’ lone meet point.

Fairmont’s Holly Petrowiak and Marina Speckman opened their match with a 7-6 (7-4) win over Katie Dylla and Lauren Zebro, but lost 6-2 in the second set. Dylla and Zebro closed out the match with a 6-3 win for the No. 3 doubles triumph.

In a four-hour match, Rebels’ No. 1 doubles netters Madison Loegering and Daylyn Huper rebounded from a 6-4 first-set loss to win 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 against Sydney Hainy, moving from her first singles spot, and Makena Rodriguez.

Hainy and Rodriguez were down 3-2 in the first set before making a comeback to take the 6-4 first set win. The duo were down again the second before reeling off two game wins, going up 5-4. Loegering and Huper responded and ultimately won the set via a tiebreaker and then the third set for the eventual match win.

“We kind of figured that we were going to have a hard time at 1 and 2 singles because they’ve got two of the top players in the section there. So we put Sydney and Brittany over in doubles, which almost worked,” Johnson said.

Fairmont (1-6) plays at Luverne in a Big South Conference dual meet at 4:30 p.m. today.

Varsity Meet

USC 6, Fairmont 1

Singles: Carly Weber (USC) def. Claire Nemmers, 6-2, 6-1. Emma Barnd (USC) def. Briana Joseph, 6-2, 6-2. Delaney Weber (USC) def. Maggy Totzke, 3-6, 6-0, 6-0. Kori Elmer (USC) def. Lauren Green, 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles: Madison Loegering-Daylyn Huper (USC) def. Sydney Hainy-Makena Rodriguez, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. Brittany Bass-Bergen Senf (F) def. Alyson Swanson-Trinity Seedorf, 6-1, 6-2. Katie Dylla-Lauren Zebro (USC) def. Holly Petrowiak-Marina Speckman, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-3.

JV Meet

Fairmont 4, USC 4

Singles: Natalie Abel (F) def. Maya Zebro, 4-1, 4-1. Maya Zebro (USC) def. Rachel O’Connor, 4-1, 4-2.

Doubles: Lydia Thatcher-Lauren Davis (F) def. Olivia Schwartz, 4-1, 4-3. Olivia Schwartz-Sarah Mantor (USC) def. Libby Totzke-Madison Hagen, 4-2, 2-4, (7-1). Ellie Hernes-Izzy Munsch (F) def. Macy Zebro-Brooklyn Yokiel, 4-0, 4-3. Emily Hagen-Madison Northwick (F) def. Kelsie Chapman-Elizabeth Romano, 4-0, 4-0. Elizabeth Romano-Brooklyn Yokiel (USC) def. Moa Ling-Morgan Hoong, 4-2, 4-2. Kelsie Chapman-Macy Zebro (USC) def. Annika Wheeler-Brooke VanGelderen, 4-3, 4-3.