Blue Earth Area nets sectional team tennis victory

BLUE EARTH -- Blue Earth Area head girls tennis coach Konny Wolff diligently wrapped new grip tape on Buc third singles player Kylie Rosenau's racket before Monday's Section 2A Team quarterfinal meet.

Rosenau then made some racket of her own by pounding out the No. 3-seeded Bucs' first team point en route to a 6-1 triumph over the No. 6-seeded Redwood Valley Cardinals at Hal Schroeder Courts in Blue Earth.

Blue Earth Area (12-4) advances to face the Class A No. 7-ranked and No. 2-seeded St. James Area Saints in an 11 a.m. sectional team semifinal Thursday at the Gustavus Adolphus College campus in St. Peter. St. James Area eliminated No. 7-seeded Maple River, 6-1, in Monday's quarterfinals.

No. 6-ranked and top-seeded Fairmont (16-2) will play the winner between No. 4-seeded River Valley and No. 5-seeded United South Central in a 9 a.m. sectional team semifinal Thursday at Gustavus Adolphus College. Fairmont earned a first-round bye via the No. 1 seed.

"We switched our lineup around a little bit today due to missing a couple of players, so we'll see how it turns out," Konny Wolff said during the sectional quarterfinal's warmup session.

Rosenau, Olivia Dutton and Addison Armstrong spearheaded the Bucs' quick start on the scorecards by combining to lose only one game out of 19 played during singles-bracket action.

Rosenau utilized a new racket grip, but a familiar two-handed backhand, to pepper winning shots all over the third singles court. Rosenau netted BEA's first point on the strength of back-to-back 6-0 set wins over Lauren Dolezal.

Dutton nearly duplicated her teammate's margin of victory, collecting a 6-0, 6-1 decision over the Cardinals' McKenna Flinn at the No. 4 spot in the singles division to stake the Bucs to a 2-0 lead on the team ledger.

Dutton displayed her ability to multi-task by connecting for a forehand winner while simultaneously avoiding stepping on a racket accidentally skidded onto her playing surface.

"That was a very athletic move on her part," BEA assistant coach Karleigh Wolff said in reference to Dutton's agility.

Armstrong then collected Point 3 for the Bucs by capping back-to-back shutout set victories over Lily DeBlieck during second singles action.

Ironically, the third doubles combination of Ashlyn Klinkner and Jazmyn Lunz, who were late additions to the Bucs' starting lineup, clinched the sectional dual-meet win by outslugging Ava Shaw-Kerkhoff and Julia Lang, 6-3, 6-1.

Klinkner and Lunz trailed 2-1 in the opening set before recording service breaks at 3-2 and 6-3 to claim the victory. The Bucs' tandem reeled off four straight wins en route to a 6-1 second-set decision.

Lauren Survis and Carol Schrader outlasted Redwood Valley's Avery Wilson and Anneliese Hammer in the meet's only extra session during No. 2 doubles play. Survis and Schrader netted a 7-5, 2-6, (11-9) comeback win to lock up BEA's fifth team tally.

No. 1 singles netter Marissa Benz delivered the Bucs' final team point by serving a 6-2, 6-0 loss to Brooke Zollner. Benz and Zollner were the seventh and last match to hit the six-court facility on Monday.

Mila Jenniges and Ella Stoneberg rallied to produce Redwood Valley's lone team point at first doubles. Jenniges and Stoneberg outdueled Grace Hanson and Ella Survis, 6-3, 7-5.

2021 Section 2A Team

Tennis Quarterfinals

Blue Earth Area 6,

Redwood Valley 1

Singles Bracket

• Marissa Benz (BEA) def. Brooke Zollner, 6-2, 6-0.

• Addison Armstrong (BEA) def. Lily DeBlieck, 6-0, 6-0.

• Kylie Rosenau (BEA) def. Lauren Dolezal, 6-0, 6-0.

• Olivia Dutton (BEA) def. McKenna Flinn, 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles Bracket

• Mila Jenniges-Ella Stoneberg (RV) def. Grace Hanson-Ella Survis, 6-3, 7-5.

• Lauren Survis-Carol Schrader (BEA) def. Avery Wilson-Anneliese Hammer, 7-5, 2-6, (11-9).

• Ashlyn Klinkner-Jazmyn Lunz (BEA) def. Ava Shaw-Kerkhoff-Julia Lang, 6-3, 6-1.