BY RICH PALZEWIC
SPORTS EDITOR
DE PERE – Gone were the heat and humidity from a few days ago but in swooped the mosquitoes.
The Ashwaubenon and De Pere girls’ tennis teams both dealt with the two-winged pests Sept. 18 in the Jaguars 7-0 Fox River Classic Conference dual victory at the Cornerstone Community Center.
Ashwaubenon dropped just 21 games combined in the seven matches.
“Credit to De Pere – they are always a strong team,” said Ashwaubenon assistant coach Raelynn Wingert, whose players could be seen at various times trying to take refuge from the nuisance mosquitoes. “You can never go into a match and underestimate them. I thought our girls came out with a lot of attack, something we’ve been talking about all season long. They are getting more confident in themselves, regardless of their age.”
Wingert noted that three freshmen are hitting in the varsity lineup right now, so even beyond this year, the future appears to be bright for the Jags.
“It’s awesome from a depth standpoint,” Wingert noted. “From the young girls all the way up to the seniors, it’s cool to see them come together to get a good team win.”
The most competitive match came at No. 1 doubles where Caylee Behnke and Maddy Coopmans defeated the duo of Tristyn Lueck and Audrey Ochsner, 6-3, 6-4.
The Jaguars also won the No. 2 and 4 singles matches and the No. 3 doubles match in landslides, dropping just three games combined.
“Ashwaubenon is very steady and consistent,” said De Pere head coach Dave Reinardy. “They play at a very high level and we’ve been making a lot of unforced errors. We are doing a few things better, but I haven’t seen much improvement in that area. We just have to keep working to see if we can get those to improve. When we run a drill in practice, the girls can do it, but when they get out into a live match, the old habits are still taking over.”
Ashwaubenon improved to 21-6 overall, while De Pere dropped to 7-21.
Ashwaubenon vs. De Pere Girls’ Tennis Results – Sept. 18
Singles:
1 – Marisa Marohl (Ash) def. Carolyn Merkatoris (DP), 6-2, 6-2.
2 – Natasha Schiegg (Ash) def. Maeryn Shepherd (DP), 6-1, 6-0.
3 – Emily Delaurelle (Ash) def. Anna Harman (DP), 6-3, 6-0.
4 – Lily Hansford (Ash) def. Hope Carter (DP), 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles:
1 – Caylee Behnke/Maddy Coopmans (Ash) def. Tristyn Lueck/Audrey Ochsner (DP), 6-3, 6-4.
2 – Courtney Behnke/Kennedy Conradt (Ash) def. Alayna Kellman/Jill Reimer (DP), 6-2, 6-1.
3 – Chole Ellis/Addy Francois (Ash) def. Molly Quinnette/Sophia McCarty (DP), 6-0, 6-1.