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Cardinals tennis tames Wildcats, 7-0

FAIRMONT — Back-to-back shutouts within a 24-hour time frame.

The Fairmont Cardinals tennis lineup needed a little more than an hour to post its second 7-0 triumph in consecutive days, zipping the River Valley Wildcats on Tuesday in Fairmont.

With senior doubles player Bergen Senf out due to illness, head coach Eric Johnson shuffled his varsity lineup a bit and still produced six straight-set victories on the Cardinal Courts.

Fairmont blanked Pipestone in a Big South Conference dual meet, 7-0, on Monday.

“Consistency. As a team, we’re playing the same way no matter who our opponent is on any given day,” said Johnson. “Our girls are more disciplined and focused, and don’t lose their concentration when they lose a point or hit a poor shot. They bounce right back.”

Maggy Totzke, Claire Nemmers and Ellie Hernes connected for high percentages of winners in reeling off three straight team tallies from the singles bracket.

Maggy Totzke’s serving proved as hot as the 90-degree temperature, delivering numerous aces to pace back-to-back 6-0 set victories over Jasmyne Windschitl at the No. 3 position in the bracket.

Hernes, who made a smooth transition from doubles on Monday to the No. 4 singles spot on Tuesday, and Nemmers tripled the Cardinals’ lead to 3-0 on the team ledger within seconds of one another.

Nemmers’ powerful groundstrokes closed out her back-to-back love set wins over Brooklyn Moldan at No. 1 singles, while Hernes’ point-producing serve-and-volley strategy sealed her 6-0, 6-0 decision over Lexanna Lazatin at the No. 4 position.

“With Bergen out, we tried some different combinations and each one of them worked out well for us,” said Johnson.

Lauren Davis and Emily Hagen proved Johnson’s post-match analysis by needing only a baker’s dozen games to pocket Fairmont’s official fourth team point at second doubles.

Davis and Hagen coasted to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over River Valley opponents Kathrine Schroepfer and Presley Dockter.

Second singles netter Briana Joseph matched Davis and Hagen by serving a 6-1, 6-0 loss to Kaydince Thoms to produce the Cardinals’ fifth team tally. Joseph displayed her patience and power to steadily pull away on the scorecards.

Libby Totzke and Anika Haugen combined court skills to roll to a 6-1, 6-3 third doubles win over the Wildcats’ Erika Lazano and Syde Wahl, while the Green sisters — Lauren and Shannon — captured a supertiebreaker that served as the decisive third set at No. 1 doubles for the Cardinals. Lauren Green and Shannon Green split the first two sets with Deniz Demirturk and Megan Stevens, 4-6 and 6-1, respectively, before coasting to a 10-4 victory in the tiebreaker.

Fairmont (11-7) plays host to St. Peter at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, while River Valley plays host to Waseca in Sleepy Eye.

FHS 7, River Valley 0

Singles: Claire Nemmers (F) def. Brooklyn Moldan, 6-0, 6-0. Briana Joseph (F) def. Kaydince Thoms, 6-1, 6-0. Maggy Totzke (F) def. Jasmyne Windschitl, 6-0, 6-0. Ellie Hernes (F) def. Lexanna Lazatin, 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles: Lauren Green-Shannon Green (F) def. Deniz Demirturk-Megan Stevens, 4-6, 6-1, (10-4). Lauren Davis-Emily Hagen (F) def. Kathrine Schroepfer-Presley Dockter, 6-1, 6-0. Libby Totzke-Anika Haugen (F) def. Erika Lazano-Syde Wahl, 6-1, 6-3.

Blue Earth Area 6, St. Peter 1 — The Class A No. 6-ranked Bucs swept the singles bracket to pace a 6-1 Big South decision over the Saints on Tuesday in St. Peter.

Macie Stevermer needed the minimum 12 games to shut out Emily Salfer at No. 2 singles, while Te’a Armstrong needed just two games more to dispose of Amelia Hildebrandt at the No. 1 spot in the bracket.

Arika Howard captured a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Oyku Celik during third singles play, while Marissa Benz capped the Bucs’ singles sweep by downing Annika Southworth at the No. 4 spot, 6-4, 6-0.

McKenna Dutton and Britt Howard outslugged the Saints’ Ella Boomgaarden and Milena Lund at No. 1 doubles, 7-5, 6-3, while the Bucs’ Addison Armstrong and Kylie Rosenau topped Raina Roemhildt and Macy Weller in back-to-back 6-1 sets at third doubles.

Josie Wiebusch and Jayna Matejcek collected St. Peter’s lone team tally by outlasting Cali Beyer and Lyndsey Borris at second doubles, 6-3, 6-4.

Blue Earth Area (14-1) plays host to New Ulm at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Hal Schroeder Courts in Blue Earth.

B.E. Area 6, St. Peter 1

Singles: Te’a Armstrong (BEA) def. Amelia Hildebrandt, 6-0, 6-2. Macie Stevermer (BEA) def. Emily Salfer, 6-0, 6-0. Arika Howard (BEA) def. Oyku Celik, 6-3, 6-1. Marissa Benz (BEA) def. Annika Southworth, 6-4, 6-0.

Doubles: McKenna Dutton-Britt Howard (BEA) def. Ella Boomgaarden-Milena Lund, 7-5, 6-3. Josie Wiebusch-Jayna Matejcek (SP) def. Cali Beyer-Lyndsey Borris, 6-3, 6-4. Addison Armstrong-Kylie Rosenau (BEA) def. Raina Roemhildt-Macy Weller, 6-1, 6-1.

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