BLUE EARTH — The defending Section 3A girls tennis team champion Blue Earth Area Bucs have started the 2020 season strong, sweeping their first three meets.

The Bucs continued their undefeated streak Monday, sweeping the Waseca Bluejays 7-0 during Big South Conference East Division tennis action Monday at Schroeder Courts in Blue Earth.

“I think the girls put in some good time this summer, especially the younger girls,” Bucs head coach Konny Wolff said of her team’s hot start. “It looks like it will hopefully pay off for them.”

It was the Bucs’ second consecutive sweep of the Bluejays, beating Waseca 7-0 on Thursday.

The Bluejays sent out the same starting lineup in the back-to-back meetings, while the Bucs switched up a couple positions.

BEA’s second doubles tandem of Britt Howard and Lyndsey Borris were the first Bucs to claim a win Monday, downing Nicola DeJager and Miranda Breck, 6-3, 6-1.

Marissa Benz, who moved down to third singles to see a different matchup from Thursday, was next to finish off her opponent, Waseca’s Hannah Berndt, by a, 6-2, 6-0 showing to put the Bucs ahead 2-0 less than an hour after the first serve.

Usual singles player Arika Howard moved to first doubles to pair with McKenna Dutton. Howard and Dutton made quick work of the Bluejays’ Emily Farley and Tanika Johnson, 6-3, 6-1 — the same score that Dutton and usual partner Kylie Rosenau beat Farley and Johnson by Thursday.

“Marissa and Addison were close in the playoffs, so I wanted to give them both a chance at second and third singles, same with doubles,” Wolff said of her lineup changes.

Te’a Armstrong claimed the decisive fourth point for the Bucs, cleanly sweeping Cece Huttemier, 6-0, 6-0, at the first singles position.

Rosenau moved to fourth singles and faced off with Brooke Hayes, outlasting Hayes, 6-3, 6-2, to continue the Bucs’ winning ways. Rosenau sent a volley winner down the line to claim the match-clinching point.

Addison Armstrong moved up to second singles, where she faced the Bluejays’ Sarah Robbins, handing Robbins a, 6-1, 6-1, defeat to give the Bucs’ their sixth team point of the day.

Cali Beyer and Olivia Dutton were the final match to start the day at the six-court facility, facing Waseca’s Grace Lapides and Jewel Paulson and downing the pair, 6-2, 6-0. Strong serves from Beyer, combined with solid net play from Dutton, helped build and maintain the pair’s advantage.

“We switched the lineup around a little bit and I thought we played fairly well,” Wolff said. “… We had Kylie up at 4 and I think she did well there, it took her a little while to adjust, but she did a good job.”

Blue Earth Area (3-0) travels to New Ulm on Thursday.

Varsity Results

B.E. Area 7, Waseca 0

Singles: Te’a Armstrong (BEA) def. Cece Huttemier, 6-0,6-0. Addison Armstrong (BEA) def. Sarah Robbins, 6-1, 6-1. Marissa Benz (BEA) def. Hannah Berndt, 6-2, 6-0. Kylie Rosenau (BEA) def. Brooke Hayes, 6-3, 6-2.

Doubles: Arika Howard-McKenna Dutton (BEA) def. Emily Farley-Tanika Johnson, 6-3, 6-1. Britt Howard-Lyndsey Borris (BEA) Nicola DeJager-Miranda Breck, 6-3, 6-1. Cali Beyer-Olivia Dutton (BEA) def. Grace Lapides-Jewel Paulson, 6-2, 6-0.