There’s still work to be done. That was the lesson learned as the Lady Lynx tennis program opened with a pair of losses and a win Friday. Brandon Valley’s lone win of the day, a 6-3 outcome, came against Brookings. The Lynx suffered 8-1 losses to both Watertown and Rapid City Stevens in the home quad.
“There was, definitely, some nervous feelings in all of the girls at the beginning of the day,” Lynx head coach Adam Rothenberger observed. “The veteran players were able to lose those nerves while still playing the first team of the day, Rapid City Stevens, as Tanna (Lehfeldt) and Sydney (Pelletier) proved in their doubles match.”
The duo started down 6-1, then settled in and nearly completed the comeback before finally succumbing 10-7.
Lehfeldt was the only Lynx player to notch two wins. Lehfeldt battled it out against Watertown’s Audrey Moran, but came out on the downside of the 10-7 outcome. She fought Stevens’ Peyton Forney to the end, coming away with a nip-and-tuck 11-10(4) victory, and capped off a 10-4 win against the Bobcats’ Jane Ardry.
“She displayed excellent poise and confidence, for a sophomore, in some very tight moments of the match to finally win in a tiebreaker,” the coach said.
Rothenberger said his younger players new to varsity tennis continued to “play nervous” going into the last matches of the day against Brookings. “However, it helped that they had to play two really talented teams right away to learn just what varsity tennis is like and how playing talented teams can help them improve their own game. Overall, I liked how the girls played in every match, obviously lots still to work on, but I believe we will continue to improve as the season progresses and will be able to hang with teams like Rapid City Stevens and Watertown.”
The Lady Lynx take to the road this week to play a variety of tennis on the Rapid City courts. They’ll see action against Pierre, St. Thomas More on Thursday, and will compete in the Rapid City Invite Friday and Saturday.
BV 1, WATERTOWN 8
Singles: Audrey Moran (W) def. Tanna Lehfeldt 10-7; Abbi Cummings (W) def. Sydney Pelletier 10-3; MacKenzie McClemans (W) def. Kate Lundberg 11-9; Megan Fannin (W) def. Annabelle Schultz 10-1; Raeanna Zink (W) def. Adriauna Alexander 10-2; Anni Cummings (W) def. Marie Pelletier 10-4. Doubles: Lehfeldt/S. Pelletier (BV) def. A. Cummings/M. McClemans 10-6; A. Moran/M. Fannin (W) def. K. Lundberg/A. Schultz 10-2; Zink/Cummings (W) def. Alexander/Tashlynn Badger 10-1.
BV 1, RC STEVENS 8
Singles: T. Lehfeldt (BV) def. Peyton Forney 11-10(4); Ingrid Anderson (RCS) def. S. Pelletier 10-2; Ashley Lundstrom (RCS) def. K. Lundberg 10-2; Jaden Elliott (RCS) def. A. Schultz 10-0; Katie Conrad (RCS) def. A. Alexander 10-0; Abbey Dehier (RCS) def. M. Pelletier 10-3. Doubles: Forney/Lundstrom (RCS) def Lehfeldt/S. Pelletier 10-7; Anderson/Elliott (RCS) def. Lundberg/Schultz 10-4; Crawford/Olson (RCS) def. Alexander/Badger 10-5.
BV 6, BROOKINGS 3
Singles: T. Lehfeldt (BV) def. Jane Ardry 10-4; Abby Enevoldsen (B) def. S. Pelletier 11-9; Kia Witt (B) def. K. Lundberg 10-3; A. Schultz (BV) def. Dhwani Kharel 10-1; A. Alexander (BV) def. Marina Du 10-6; Skylor Ness (B) def. M. Pelletier 10-7. Doubles: Lehfeldt/S. Pelletier (BV) def. J. Ardry/A. Enevoldsen 10-5; Lundberg/Schultz (BV) def. Witt/Kharel 10-1; Alexander/Badger (BV) def. Du/Ness 10-6.
