By Murray Gleffe, Sports Correspondent
The Jaguar girl’s tennis team competed in the Bay Port ‘Battle on the Fox’ tournament held Monday and Tuesday at various sites throughout the Green Bay Metro Area. The Jaguars went 2-0 on opening day, and then closed with a flurry going 3-0 on the final day.
In the opening round on Day 1, the Jaguars took care of the Kewaunee Indians 7-0 with ease dropping only two games over seven matches. Bitz Steinhoff (#2 Singles) used her finesse and foot speed to drop only 9 points the entire match. In addition, Steinhoff connected on four aces, and seven volley winners.
In match two of the day, the result was much of the same. The Jaguars defeated the Shawano Hawks 7-0 and had two perfect matches on the day. Junior Addison Stromberg and Sophomore Kennedy Conradt (playing her 1st Varsity Match) paired up for the first time all season (#3 doubles) and didn’t drop a game all match. Conradt used her powerful game to deliver 9 forehand, and 6 backhand winners. Stromberg used her net skills to put volley after volley away on the Licausi and Black duo for the Hawks. The victory put the Jaguars at 4-1 on the season.
On Day 2, the Jaguars opened up with the Marinette Marines. The Jaguars got a much better test from the Marines than the previous opponents on opening day, but every flight still won their match in defeating the Marines 7-0. The #2 Doubles team of Maddy Coopmans and Caylee Behnke got to the net fast and furious and made Zeifert and Bauer of Marinette pay dearly. The duo continually angled volleys away for winners, and used their tactical serving to set each other up on the next shot. Coopmans and Behnke won all 12 games played. Their stellar play in 2017 is attributed to the many months spent hitting indoors at GBTC over the winter.
The second to last match featured the Jaguars vs the Green Bay East Red Devils. History was made as the Jaguars didn’t give up an entire game to the Red Devils the entire match in winning the contest 7-0. The Jaguars won all 84 games played! That feat has never been achieved for the girls tennis team during the existence of the program. Aubree Helstad (#3 Singles) put together an all-court performance by hitting 17 aces, and 21 forehand winners during the match. The pace she set was just too strong for Neumeyer of East. The #1 Doubles team of Peyton Wright and Jayme Kiser used their intensity and gritty work ethic to defeat their opponents in just 27 minutes.
The last contest of the tournament featured the Ashwaubenon Jaguars and the DePere Redbirds in a conference match within the Invite. The new rule went into effect last year allowing a team to replace a conference match if the same team is in a multi-tiered Invite. Tensions were running high with the old Bay Conference rivals. To boot, the Redbirds had beaten the Jaguars every year dating back to the early 2000s. This time, the Jaguars struck early on the tennis courts. Marisa Marohl used her magical tools to win the top singles match in straight sets. It set the tone for the rest of the Jaguar team who were heard congratulating their teammates from multiple courts down. #4 Singles Player Emily DeLaurelle came off the court next with a victory over Ghai of DePere. Delaurelle’s consistency was evident in the match. During one point in the second set of her straight set win, she kept the ball in play for 48 hits, and won the point! After #2 singles, #2 doubles, and #3 doubles completed their straight set victories, the Jaguars had completed their 5-2 signature win over the DePere Redbirds. With the win, the Jaguars will take a 6-1 mark into the Green Bay Preble Invite held August 24 and 25.