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Fairmont tennis team fends off Albert Lea, 4-3

FAIRMONT — Libby Totzke and Anika Haugen caught their collective second wind between the second and third sets to reel off a pivotal 6-2 final-set victory during Thursday’s nonconference dual tennis meet at the Cardinal Courts.

Totzke and Haugen rallied for a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win at third doubles to clinch the Fairmont Cardinals’ decisive team tally en route to a 4-3 triumph over the Albert Lea Tigers in Fairmont.

“We’ve got a team of fighters on the court, and they never quit. They just keep battling until the very end,” said Fairmont head coach Eric Johnson. “That’s become our MO (modus operandi) this season.”

Totzke and Haugen salvaged the team decision after the momentum shifted in Albert Lea’s direction on the heels of three consecutive Fairmont victories in the singles bracket.

Briana Joseph need the minimum dozen games to quickly dispose of Shelby Hanson at the second position in the singles lineup, 6-0, 6-0. Joseph utilized the entire singles court to pile up point after point to net Fairmont’s initial team point.

Lauren Green then doubled the hometown Cardinals’ score on the team ledger by coasting to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Maggie Moller during third singles play. Ironically, Green lost the opening game of her match before assembling a run of 12 straight game wins.

Claire Nemmers then inched Fairmont within one team tally of the meet victory at first singles. Nemmers, sporting her Serena sleeves, pounded out an opening 6-2 set win over Sam Skarstad before the Albert Lea left-hander registered a key service break in Game 7 of the second set to grab a 4-3 lead.

Nemmers calmly reeled off four consecutive winning points to knot the set at 4-all before utilizing her well-placed drop shots to capture two more games for the 6-4 second-set win.

The Tigers, however, pounced back on the scorecards as Kaedyn Kirchner and Madison Prihoda posted a 6-1, 6-4 second doubles win over the Cardinals’ Shannon Green and Ellie Hernes.

Albert Lea notched another team point when fourth singles netter Allison Dulitz outlasted Emily Hagen in a good-to-the-last-shot clash, 6-4, 6-4.

Ahead 3-2, Totzke and Haugen bounced back from a second-set loss to Hannah Conn and Makenzie Herr to lock up the meet-winning point at third doubles with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 decision.

Brooke Maier and Carley Talamantes collected Albert Lea’s third point of the meet by outdueling Fairmont’s Bergen Senf and Lauren Davis at the No. 1 doubles position, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Fairmont (5-2) travels to Worthington on Tuesday for a Big South Conference dual meet.

Varsity Meet

Fairmont 4, Albert Lea 3

Singles: Claire Nemmers (F) def. Sam Skarstad, 6-2, 6-4. Briana Joseph (F) def. Shelby Hanson, 6-0, 6-0. Lauren Green (F) def. Maggie Moller, 6-1, 6-0. Allison Dulitz (AL) def. Emily Hagen, 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles: Brooke Maier-Carley Talamantes (AL) def. Bergen Senf-Lauren Davis, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Kaedyn Kirchner-Madison Prihoda (AL) def. Shannon Green-Ellie Hernes, 6-1, 6-4. Libby Totzke-Anika Haugen (F) def. Hannah Conn-Makenzie Herr, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

JV Meet

Albert Lea 6, Fairmont 3

Doubles: Dominica Eckstrom-Riley Johnson (AL) def. Izzy Munsch-Hope Klanderud, 4-3, 4-0. Abi Peyman-Madi Northwick (F) def. Dominica Eckstrom-Riley Johnson, 1-4, 4-3, (10-7). Alyssa Jensen-Hannah Willner (AL) def. Rachel O’Connor-Macy Militello, 4-0, 3-4, (7-3). Maddie Handy-Bree Weilage (AL) def. Thalia Fernandez-Paige Linse, 4-3, 4-2. Jade Hightower-Steph Vogt (AL) def. Brynn Gustafson-Solveig Senf, 4-0, 4-1. Lilly Laven-Meredith Nemmers (F) def. Rachel Doppelhammer-Marissa Hanson, 3-4, 4-0, (7-2). Annika Wheeler-Kaycie Brookens (F) def. Lilly Hyke-Ashlyn Bauer, 4-2, 4-2. Ella Bordeaux-Gracie Enser (AL) def. Jenna Spencer-Brooke VanGelderen, 4-1, 4-3. Emma Prihoda-Ava Bremer (AL) def. Alli Lockwood-Vanessa Schultze, 4-2, 4-1.

Blue Earth Area 6, Maple River 1 — The Class A, No. 6-ranked Bucs kept their torrid winning streak intact by coasting to a 6-1 nonconference victory over the Eagles on Thursday at Hal Schroeder Courts in Blue Earth.

Te’a Armstrong outslugged perennial individual state qualifier Vanessa Barkosky in a battle of No. 1 singles titans, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, to help Blue Earth Area sweep the bracket.

Macie Stevermer needed the minimum of a dozen games to post back-to-back 6-0 set wins over the Eagles’ Lauren Maas at second singles, while the Bucs’ Arika Howard needed only a baker’s dozen games to net a 6-1, 6-0 third singles triumph over Leah Proehl.

Marissa Benz completed Blue Earth Area’s singles-division sweep by serving a 6-1, 6-0 loss to Kayla Berg at the fourth position in the lineup.

Britt Howard and Lyndsey Borris outslugged Maple River’s Ella Sohre and Sophie Christian at No. 2 doubles via back-to-back 6-4 set victories, while Addison Armstrong and Kiley Rosenau capped the Bucs’ point production by fending off Isabella Nelson and Kelcy Jaeger at third doubles, 6-4, 6-3.

Abby Bruegger and Olivia Pfeffer generated Maple River’s lone team tally by squeezing out a 1-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-3) first doubles decision over McKenna Dutton and Cali Beyer.

Blue Earth Area (6-0) plays host to Luverne at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hal Schroeder Courts in Blue Earth.

B.E. Area 6, Maple River 1

Singles: Te’a Armstrong (BEA) def. Vanessa Barkosky, 6-2, 6-7 (8), 7-5. Macie Stevermer (BEA) def. Lauren Maas, 6-0, 6-0. Arika Howard (BEA) def. Leah Proehl, 6-1, 6-0. Marissa Benz (BEA) def. Kayla Berg, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles: Abby Bruegger-Olivia Pfeffer (MR) def. McKenna Dutton-Cali Beyer, 1-6, 6-0, 7-6 (3). Britt Howard-Lyndsey Borris (BEA) def. Ella Sohre-Sophie Christian, 6-4, 6-4. Addison Armstrong-Kiley Rosenau (BEA) def. Isabella NelsonKelcy Jaeger, 6-4, 6-3.

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