Aberdeen Roncalli came up short against St. Thomas More on Monday morning, but still made progress in the 6-3 tennis setback at the Northern State Courts.
“I think it was some our most complete tennis. We’re improving every meet,” said Roncalli coach Jonah Dignan. “I’d say we learned a lot, as every girl came off had something they learned about themselves and how they can play tennis better.”
Roncalli swept the bottom flights in singles for its three points.
“We won 4, 5 and 6 singles,” Dignan said. “That’s pretty good if we can win that bottom half of the ladder.”
The host Cavaliers received wins from freshmen Lydia Nora at flight four, and Molleigh Hofer at flight five, and seventh-grader Abby Andersen at flight six.
The top flight doubles team of Keira Rivett and Sydney Bohle lost in a super tiebreaker.
Dignan was pleased with the effort.
“Our one doubles went to a super. That’s a really good thing for us,” he said. “They played some of their best tennis.”
Rivett thought she played better as the dual went on.
“I think that starting with doubles, I definitely did not play as well as I did in my singles,” Rivett said. “My serves were really off, net play I was just slow. I think that usually happens to me first match of the day.”
Rivett made the big leap of climbing up three flights this season.
“Going from flight four to flight one is definitely a big change,” she said. “The people at flight one are hitting with a lot more power and a lot more top spin than anyone else at every other flight.”
Rivett is the only senior on the Roncalli squad this fall. She said the main reason she is playing is to help provide leadership for her younger teammates.
“I actually considered not playing this year,” Rivett said, “but a main thing for me was I really wanted to set an example for the younger kids … I do feel like I am making an impact on them and their tennis game, and just in life in general, which is what I hope to do.”
Roncalli’s Gianna Cihak had the task of facing STM’s Elliya Strand, who happens to be ambidextrous, hitting forehands with both hands instead of having a backhand.
“It was really weird, because when you’re warming up I was trying to find out whether her backhand or forehand was worse,” Cihak said, “but she had both forehands.”
What Cihak found out is that Strand is good with either hand.
“Since she works on both forehands, both have to be equally good,” Cihak said. “She doesn’t really have a better or worse side.”
Cihak has gone from playing sixth flight singles a year ago to third flight this year. She said it does present a challenge.
“I was really nervous about not being able to play at my level, but I’ve been doing pretty good this season,” Cihak said. “You just need to learn to hit with more power and more spin.”
Dignan was happy with the way his players continued to battle through points during the dual.
“We did a good job of staying mentally in the points today,” Dignan said, “not quitting three shots in and being able to finish them out.”
Roncalli will host Rapid City Stevens and Rapid City Central on Friday, before competing in the Elliott Extravaganza on Saturday when it will face Aberdeen Central at about 4 p.m.
St. Thomas More 6, Aberdeen Roncalli 3
SINGLES
Amity Strand, STM, def. Keira Rivett, 6-2, 6-3.
Evie Reinicke, STM, def. Sydney Bohle, 6-0, 6-0.
Elliya Strand, STM, def. Gianna Cihak, 6-1, 6-0.
Lydia Nora, AR, def. Blakesly Schleiffarth, 6-2, 6-1.
Molleigh Hofer, AR, def. Samantha Ponto, 6-4, 3-6, (13-11)
Abby Andersen, AR, def. Hallie Millar, 6-1, 6-1.
DOUBLES
Strand-Ponto, STM, def. Rivett-Bohle, 4-6, 6-3, (10-4).
Reinicke-E. Strand, STM, def. Cihak-Hofer, 6-1, 6-1.
Millar-Schlieffarth, STM, def. Andersen-Nora, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
