Aberdeen Central will feature young experience on the tennis courts this fall.
The Golden Eagles do not have many upperclassmen, but they do have players who have been in plenty of varsity matches.
“We graduated three of our six last year, our 1, 3 and 6 (singles). … We did graduate half our team,” said Central coach John Vogel. “We have three coming back, Sarah (Knie), Estelle (Riggs), and Mady (Holman) with experience. We have three news ones and we’re figuring it out. We do have familiar faces.”
Some of those familiar faces include Penelope Vogel, Jovee Waldo, and Halle Buckhouse.
Nearly all of Central’s players competed in some form of league or tournaments this summer.
“We have an advantage over the boys,” Coach Vogel said. “The fun time to play tennis is right into our season.”
Vogel said he watches summer events to see where his players are at in the off season.
“Some kids were in mid-season form at C.C. Lee and some people it was the first time they played,” Vogel said. “I’ve always liked it, because it’s a wake-up call. Either it says, ‘Ope here’s what I got to work on,’ or it’s like ‘Uh-oh, I better start playing.’ So, I do like the summer tournaments for that.”
Knie, just a freshman, has already been a member of the varsity for the past two seasons. She and Riggs will form the top doubles team this fall.
Vogel said chemistry is a big key in doubles, so the challenge is finding the right players to pair together to form a team.
“In doubles, it’s more of aggressive style of game, so I look for more an aggressive style of player in doubles,” Vogel said. “Whereas in singles, you’re waiting for players to make mistakes, well in doubles if you do that, you’re going to be on the short end of the stick. Usually, the more aggressive team wins, and we look for aggressive players, but you can’t be overly aggressive, because then you’re all making mistakes.”
Vogel said that in the lowest flight he doesn’t mind a combination of players where one sets up a point and other one ends it.
“I have to admit, I like, especially at the lower end, like three dubs, the setup and the finisher. … I can get everything back and I want you to finish it,” Vogel said, “and that’s kind of what we look for.”
Central starts its season with a flurry of action this weekend in Pierre. The Golden Eagles will face two-time defending Class AA state champion Rapid City Stevens and Spearfish on Friday, and then take on Rapid City Central and Rapid City Christian on Saturday.
Vogel said the players that take the court for the initial matches of the season won’t necessarily comprise the lineup later in the campaign.
“I want to have a finished lineup by Brookings when we start playing the ESD schools,” Vogel said. “I really want it by Sioux Falls because we don’t see them again, but this one we do see Stevens and Central again. We all know it’s OK if it’s not the same lineup, because they’ll come here and we’ll see them again.”
Central will have the rare opportunity to host the Eastern South Dakota Conference this season. It only happens about once a decade. The matches at Holgate will be livestreamed with cameras on each court, with a goal of being able to have live scores attached to each match on the screen.
First up, though, is a dual against perennial power Stevens to open the season.
“It is odd to start with the two-time defending state champion. … I’ve always liked how we competed this very first time,” Vogel said. “There is some pressure there to play one of the best teams right off the bat.”
