The Aberdeen Central tennis team is now ready for some home matches.
The Golden Eagles completed their road regular season by splitting a pair of duals on Saturday, defeating Brandon Valley 7-2 and falling to Mitchell 8-1. Central will now be home the remainder of the season leading up to the state tournament next month.
Central started its day with doubles against Brandon Valley before an interesting match at flight one where Sarah Knie rallied from a deficit to pull out a win in a tiebreaker 7-3.
“I had a quick chat with her at 6-9,” said Central coach John Vogel. “I said, ‘Sarah you have nothing to worry about. The last game is the hardest game to win and this girl is going to get nervous and you’re going to get this one because of that, and then she’s going to get more nervous and you’re going to start playing better, and then you’re going to take it in a breaker.’ I’m so glad that’s exactly what happened.”
The Golden Eagles fell in a pair of breakers at the first two singles flights against Mitchell. Knie was edged 10-8, and Estelle Riggs came up short 7-5 at flight two.
“I think they both want those singles matches back at 1 and 2,” Vogel said.
The duo then bounced back for a doubles win against the Kernels.
“I told them, OK girls you have that foul taste in your mouth,” Vogel said, “and in this case revenge was a dish best served hot, because it was getting about 90 degrees.”
Vogel pointed out one other match against Mitchell, where Jovee Waldo dropped a 10-0 decision at flight five singles.
Vogel said despite not winning a game, Waldo showed that she is developing a solid backhand.
“I took a very positive result from that 0-10 match,” Vogel said, “because she’s starting to look like a tennis player.”
Central is off this coming week before hosting St. Thomas More a week from Monday, starting a homestand that will finish by hosting the Eastern South Dakota Conference tournament later this month.
Aberdeen Central 7, Brandon Valley 2
Singles
Sarah Knie, AC, def. Harper Bertsch, 10-9 (7-3).
Estelle Riggs, AC, def. Grace Dew, 10-0.
Mady Holman, AC, def. Olivia Ericsson, 10-4.
Penelope Vogel, AC, def. Norah Siverhus, 10-5.
Jovee Waldo, AC, def. Leighton Guetter, 10-7.
Taetum Horstmeyer, BV, def. Raylee Zimmer, 10-8.
Doubles
Knie-Riggs, AC, def. Bertsch-Ericsson, 10-5.
Holman-Vogel, AC, def. Siverhus-Guetter, 10-4.
Dew-Horstmeyer, BV, def. Waldo-Zimmer, 10-5.
Mitchell 8, Aberdeen Central 1
Singles
Katie Monson, M, def. Sarah Knie, 10-9 (8-6).
Mai Larson, M, def. Estelle Riggs, 10-9 (7-5).
Ava Prunty, M, def. Mady Holman, 10-4.
Elliot Smith, M, def. Penelope Vogel, 10-6.
Charlee Cimpl, M, def. Jovee Waldo, 10-0.
Taryn Bultje, M, def. Raylee Zimmer, 10-5.
Doubles
Knie-Riggs, AC, def. Monson-Prunty, 10-4.
Larson-Smith, M, def. Holman-Vogel, 10-3.
Cimpl-Bultje, M, def. Waldo-Zimmer, 10-4.
