Girls' tennis: Team seeks to fill singles spots
The Hillsboro High School girls' tennis team started out their season on familiar territory Tuesday afternoon, hosting the Hillsboro Invitational.
HHS fielded two teams in the tournament, which also featured visiting Hesston, Clay Center, Nickerson, Smoky Valley, and Wichita Collegiate.
Hillsboro's gold team, led by No. 1 doubles team Jessica Boese and Kelli Just, tied for third place with Nickerson.
The team did as well as could be expected for the first meet of the season, said coach Lynn Wiebe.
"We have lots of things to improve," she said.
The team of Boese and Just opened up competition by defeating the Clay Center team Lehman and McManaman 8-5, then lost to Smoky Valley's McGanghy and Rawson 8-1.
In the third-place bracket, Boese and Just defeated Smith and Komin of Collegiate 8-7 (8-6).
Overall, Hesston, who also fielded two teams, took first place. Smoky Valley came in second, and Collegiate came in fourth.
Wiebe's tennis team this year features ten returning players and four newcomers. Three seniors lead the team: Candace Barkman, Angie Claassen, and Jessica Boese.
Kelli Just is the lone junior, but sophomore seem to dominate the squad, with seven: Marci Wodke, Whitney Washmon, Gina Andrews, Kelsey Kaufman, Kim Givens, Mallory Blecha, and Erin Wiebe.
Audrey Ediger, Kim Funk, and Danielle Hagen are the team's three freshmen.
This year's squad goes into the season having lost a few key players.
Amber Hefley, who took fourth place at state last year, has graduated, as did Josie Bartel. And the team's No. 2 singles player, Megan Vogel, didn't go out for tennis this year.
That leaves two tough spots to fill in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles, Wiebe said. She still hasn't decided who will fit in those positions.
"Nothing's cut and dried at this point," Wiebe said.
And although Wiebe has ten returning players, many of them had never played the game of tennis before their freshman year of high school.
Factor in the number of sophomores on the team, and that adds up to a relatively inexperienced squad.
But Wiebe expects a good season, one in which her players feel confident in the team lineup, secure that they can compete with the best the MCAA has to offer. Collegiate and Hesston should be strong once again, Wiebe said.
HILLSBORO INVITATIONAL
NO. 1 SINGLES: Wodke loses to Minor (Hesston), Nordyke (Collegiate), Weaver (Hesston).
Wiebe def. Weaver, loses to Schmitt (Nickerson), Johnson (Smoky Valley).
NO. 2 SINGLES: Funk loses to Swenson (Smoky Valley), Dunn (Clay Center), Blecha (Hillsboro).
Blecha loses to O'Halloran (Hesston), Barkman (Hillsboro), def. Funk.
Barkman loses to Scofield (Nickerson), def. Blecha, def. Dunn (Clay Center).
NO. 2 DOUBLES: Washmon/Givens lose to Hamilton/Jansen (Hesston), Tombaugh/Chestnut (Clay Center), def. McCloud/Smith (Hesston).
Claassen/Kaufman def. Kautnikova/Morrey (Nickerson), lose to Carlson/Ruggiero (Smoky Valley), Meyer/Genry (Collegiate).
