Bluejay Girls battle through September with back-to-back tiebreak thrillers

The Merrill Varsity Girls Tennis Team had a busy September with an exciting stretch of matches, highlighted by Senior Night, Parents Night, and a strong showing at the Conference meet, followed by two nail-biting road matches that came down to multiple tiebreakers, according to Merrill Girls Tennis Coach Elizabeth Thiel.
The Merrill Girls hosted Newman Catholic on Sept. 16, celebrating both Senior Night and the program’s first-ever Parents Night. “The Bluejays fell 5-2 against a very strong Newman squad, but picked up impressive doubles wins,” Thiel said. “At No. 2 doubles, Korina Kreagenbrink and Jenna Malluege earned a 6-1, 6-3 victory, while No. 3 doubles partners Parker Wagenaar and Addison Pickard battled to a 6-0, 6-4 win.”
Two days later, on Sept. 18, the Merrill Girls were in Phillips and bounced back, “sweeping Phillips 7-0 to earn another Conference win,” she said.
Next, it was on to the Sept. 25 Conference meet in Rhinelander. “It was an incredibly long day of tennis filled with close matches, tiebreakers, and standout performances,” Thiel said.
“At No. 1 singles, Emily Frahm entered as the fifth seed and faced Lakeland. She jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set before momentum shifted, ultimately falling 6-4, 6-0. Frahm fought until the end and showed grit against a tough opponent,” she said.

“At No. 2 singles, Greta Peterson was seeded sixth and had one of the most thrilling matches of the day against Medford’s third seed. Earlier in the season, she lost 6-1, 6-4, but this time battled to a third-set tiebreak. Peterson dropped the first set 7-5, won the second 6-2, and came up just short in a nail-biting 13-11 tiebreaker. Her poise and determination stood out, making for one of the most exciting matches of the tournament.”
“At No. 3 singles, Claire Hintz also entered as a sixth seed and faced Rhinelander. Earlier in the season, she lost 3-6, 4-6, but this time she pushed her opponent even further, losing a second-set tiebreak by just five points. Hintz played aggressive tennis, using smart shot placement and focus despite a loud, distracting crowd,” Thiel said.
“At No. 4 singles, Rose Dornbrack faced Lakeland. Despite a tough day on the court, Dornbrack showed her usual determination and effort, though she fell 6-0, 6-1.”
On to doubles play: At No. 1 doubles for the Bluejays, Hoock and Severt entered as the fifth seed. They waited a long time to play, as the 23rd match to take the court. “Against Rhinelander and with a rowdy crowd, they played well but fell short in a tough matchup,” Thiel said.
“The biggest highlight came from No. 2 doubles, where Kreagenbrink and Malluege finished third overall in Conference. Playing inside the dome, they opened with a thrilling comeback against Lakeland, winning 4-6, 6-2, 10-8. They then fell to Rhinelander 2-6, 4-6 before bouncing back with a 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 victory over Pacelli to secure third place. Their improvement this season has been remarkable, and their chemistry on court has produced long rallies and exciting points,” she said.
“At No. 3 doubles, Wagenaar and Pickard entered as the fifth seed against Lakeland. Though they lost 1-6, 2-6, they showed great progress from earlier in the year, with many games going to deuce,” Thiel said.
At the end of the day, Merrill finished fifth in the Conference with 57 points — one of the highest totals the program has seen in years.
The Bluejay Varsity Girls wrapped up September and their season with two extremely close team battles that were decided in multiple tiebreakers, Thiel reported.
Merrill traveled to Wausau East on Sept. 29 for a nail-biter, narrowly dropping the matchup 4-3, with three of the seven matches going to third-set tiebreaks. “At No. 3 singles, Claire Hintz battled hard but came up just short, falling by only three points in her match tiebreak,” Thiel said.
“At No. 4 singles, Rose Dornbrack played one of her best matches of the season, cruising to a 6-0, 6-4 win.”
“At No. 1 doubles, Hoock and Severt bounced back after a tough opening set, losing 1-6 before roaring back to win 6-1, 10-8 in the decider,” she said.
“The No. 2 doubles duo of Kreagenbrink and Malluege also earned a victory in dramatic fashion, losing the first set 4-6 before winning a second-set tiebreak 7-5 and then clinching the match with a 13-11 third-set tiebreak.”
The next day, Sept. 30, the Bluejays went to D.C. Everest and, while they lost 5-2, three matches again went to nail-biting tiebreakers.
“At No. 3 singles, Hintz had another marathon match, winning her second set in a tiebreak before falling 10-2 in the third. Despite the loss, she showcased aggressive play and consistent shot-making, a reflection of her growth this season,” Thiel said.
“At No. 4 singles, Dornbrack once again came through in the clutch, winning her first set in a tiebreak, dropping the second, and pulling out a thrilling 14-12 match tiebreak victory.”
“At No. 2 doubles, Kreagenbrink and Malluege fought through another back-and-forth battle, winning the first set 7-5 before dropping the second in a tiebreak and falling 10-6 in the third.”
“I joked after the match, asking if they were just trying to get more court time before the season ends,” Thiel said with a smile. “But really, it’s a testament to how competitive this group has become. They fight until the very last point.”

JV season wrap-up

It was also the final night of competition for the JV squad, and Coach Thiel said she sees tremendous potential in the upcoming group. “They’ve improved so much this year, even just working on the basics,” she said. “I can’t wait to see where next year takes us.”
“Among the standouts, Ava Jozwiak has shown major growth with her follow-through and stroke consistency, and Addisyn Krause has developed a love for doubles, excelling at the net,” Thiel said. “Freshman Mara Kautzer has taken to tennis quickly. The game has really clicked for her, and she shows the kind of talent that could make her a force to be reckoned with in the future.”

Another Freshman, Jillian Severt, also stands out due to her “unique sliced forehand groundstroke that has already proven to be a weapon,” she said.
“Noelle Iverson also had a strong season, with her serving showing major improvement and her game getting stronger each week. She brought great effort and steady progress to the team all year long.”
In doubles play, No. 1 JV doubles team Ava Latzig and McKenzie Plautz were paired together for much of the season. “They played very well as a team, growing more vocal and confident with each match, and their improvement by the end of the year was easy to see,” Thiel said.
Thiel was visibly proud of her JV squad and already has her eyes focused on next year’s Varsity lineup. “I’m so excited for this group of girls. They’ve grown so much already, and I can’t wait to see them step up and compete for Varsity spots next year.”