By Jared Schmeltzer
Reporter
The Merrill tennis team traveled to Rhinelander on Friday morning for match ups with the Hodags and Luther L. Wright High School from Ironwood, MI. Merrill’s first match was against Luther L. Wright, where the Jays dominated the Ironwood team 7-0.
In singles action, Amelia Skoviera, Merrill’s number one singles player, defeated Zaida Lagalo of Luther L. Wright, 6-3, 6-4. The Jays’ number two player, Alexandra Johnson, topped Dahlia Sackmann by a scores of 6-1, 6-0. Kamille Ament got Merrill their third straight win, beating Lexi Holm of Luther, 6-2, 6-0. In the four hole for Merrill was Angela Hinner, who won her match against Faith Grewe 6-0, 6-1.
The Bluejays doubles teams were just as dominant, winning all three of their matches against Luther. Merrill’s number one doubles team consisting of Anna Rydeski and Erin Murray, won their match against Mckensi Koval and Leilah Anderson by a score of 6-3, 6-0. Autumn Reissmann and Audrey Ladewig kept the momentum going for Merrill, out playing Jasmine Benson and Gloria Kennedy by scores of 6-2, 6-0. Katelyn Hahn and Ashlynn Semling completed the clean sweep for Merrill, defeating Isabell Castillo and Adriana Lorento by scores of 6-4, 6-1.
Jays fall to Hodags
In Merrill’s match with Rhinelander the script was flipped, as the Jays were unable to come away with a win, falling to the Hodags 7-0.
Amelia Skoviera started things out for Merrill’s singles play, falling to Rhinelanders’ Annika Johnson, 6-0, 6-2. Alexandra Johnson fought hard for the Jays, however would lose by scores of 6-3, 6-2, to the Hodags’ Kenedy Van Zile. Rhinelanders’ Kaylee Ponteli and Taylor Riopel each won their singles matches 6-0, 6-0, topping the Jays’ Kamille Ament and Angela Hinner.
The Bluejays’ doubles team of Anna Rydeski and Erin Murray lost to Rhinelanders’ Alex Oestriech and Jackie Wells, by scores of 6-2, 6-1. Lisa White and Kathryn Borski of Rhinelander competed against and beat Merrill’s Autumn Reissmann and Audrey Ladewig, with a final score of 6-1, 6-1. The final doubles group of the match, featuring Merrills’ Katelyn Hahn and Ashlynn Semling against the Hodags’ Izzy Haverkampt and Jadien Thiel went to Rhinelander by a score of 6-1, 6-1.
The Merrill tennis team will be back in action on Thursday, Sept. 5, as they travel to Wausau East for a Wisconsin Valley Conference match-up with the Lumberjacks, starting at 4:00 p.m.