Aberdeen Central overcame a pair of challenges on Monday afternoon in its first home tennis action of the season.
The Golden Eagles handled the hurdles and picked up a 6-3 win over St. Thomas More at the Holgate Courts.
Central coach John Vogel noted that the Golden Eagles haven’t seen much wind this fall and also very seldom play on Mondays coming off a day of non practice.
“This was our first real challenge with wind, and … it’s just weird on Mondays,” Vogel said.
The Golden Eagles started out by winning four of the six singles matches, including a straight set win by eighth-grader Sarah Knie at second flight singles.
“I just tried to get her out of the way and then rock the ball where she’s not,” Knie said of her opponent, “and try to get winners.”
That strategy worked well in the opening set, but her STM opponent but up a battle in the second set.
Vogel paid Knie a visit and had a message for her to help finish off the match.
“What I told her was ‘Sarah, what really worked in the first set, you were the one moving, she wasn’t.’ She just said thank you, and I think she started moving again,” Vogel said. “When Sarah moves, she’s tough. Her strokes are fantastic, too, but she’s very quick.”
Knie and her doubles partner Estelle Riggs nearly won at flight two doubles before falling in two tough sets in a match that featured hard-hitting action.
“I’d say their twos are loaded. That was a very good two doubles team,” Vogel said. “Our twos played great. It was a fun match.”
The Golden Eagles picked up a victory at top flight doubles where Avery Tennant and Chloe Ladner won in straight sets.
Ladner had to regroup following a tough super tiebreaker setback in her singles match.
“The mental game is really hard, because you’re down so far. You kind of want to give up,” Ladner said. “It’s definitely pretty hard to get the mindset back, especially with the tie break, you got to mentally reset for the next thing.”
Ladner was able to refocus to help record a solid win in doubles. The senior said winning the opening set helped to take some of the pressure off.
“I think (winning) the first set really helps mentally,” Ladner said, “because then you know that you can kind of calm down the second set.”
Central also received singles wins from Estelle Riggs, Mady Holman, and Anna Wells at flights four, five and six, respectively. Holman and Wells also teamed up for a win at third flight doubles.
Ladner and the rest of the Golden Eagles were just happy to play at home for a change after spending the entire season on the road.
“I like playing at home,” Ladner said. “It’s nice to know I can go home after playing and not have to stay in a hotel or travel on the road.”
The Golden Eagles will have more matches at home the rest of the week, hosting Rapid City Stevens and Rapid City Central on Friday, before facing Pierre and Aberdeen Roncalli around 4 p.m. Saturday during the Elliott Extravangza.
Knie is looking forward to that for a couple of reasons.
“I’m excited because then I get to play Stevens again,” Knie said, “and there’s food.”
Aberdeen Central 6, St. Thomas More 3
SINGLES
Amity Strand, STM, def. Avery Tennant, 6-2, 6-4.
Sarah Knie, AC, def. Evie Reinicke, 6-2, 6-3.
Elliya Strand, STM, def. Chloe Ladner, 4-6, 6-1, (10-8).
Estelle Riggs, AC, def. Blakesly Schleiffarth, 6-0, 6-0.
Mady Holman, AC, def. Samantha Ponto, 6-2, 6-0.
Anna Wells, AC, def. Hallie Millar, 6-3, 6-2.
DOUBLES
Tennant-Knie, AC, def. Strand-Ponto, 6-4, 6-1.
Reinicke-E. Strand, STM, def. Knie-Riggs, 6-3, 7-5.
Holman-Wells, AC, def. Schleiffarth-Millar, 6-0, 6-3.
