It took until the end of the season, but the Luverne Cardinals tennis team suffered its first match loss of the season on Tuesday, May 18.
Playing for the Big South Conference Championship, the Cardinals fell to New Ulm 4-3 in Luverne.
New Ulm’s Isaac Bluemhoefer defeated Luverne’s Pierce Cunningham in a three-set match.
Bluemhoefer bested Cunningham in the first set 6-0. Cunningham answered back to win the second set 6-2. In the third and final set, Bluemhoefer edged Cunningham 6-4.
Luverne’s Griffen Jarchow defeated New Ulm’s Max Gieske in a thrilling three set match.
Jarchow took the first set in convincing fashion 6-0.
Gieske battled back to win the second set 7-6 to force a third set. In the third set it was Jarchow coming out on top with a 6-3 set victory.
Luverne’s Chance Tunnissen and Kyle Ferguson both lost their respective matches in straight sets.
The duo of Blake Frahm and Ben Jarchow picked up the match victory for the Cardinals over Nathaniel Janssen and Leo Waloch. Frahm and Jarchow won both sets by the score of 6-1.
The doubles team of Jayson Rops and John Miller defeated New Ulm’s duo of Cody Gilman and Tate Trullinger in straight sets. The Luverne duo won both sets by the score of 6-3.
Luverne’s Ethan Nath and Logan Ommen lost their doubles match to Isaac Davis and Dylen Carreon in three sets.
Ommen and Nath took the first set by the score of 6-2.
Davis and Carreon answered back by winning the second set 6-3. In the third set it was Davis and Carreon coming out on the winning end 7-6.
LHS 6, RV 1
The Cardinals opened the section tournament on Monday, May 24, with a 6-1 victory over Redwood Valley in Luverne.
With the win the Cardinals advanced to the semifinals where they’ll play either Pipestone Area or Lac Qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd on Tuesday, May 25, in Redwood Falls.
Cunningham defeated Redwood Valley’s Andrew Muetzel in straight sets. Cunningham won the first set 6-1 and then took the second set 6-0.
Griffen Jarchow won his match against Jacob Zollner in quick fashion. Jarchow won both sets 6-0 to pick up the victory for Luverne.
Tunnissen won his match against Laiten Goodthunder in straight sets. Tunnissen won the first set of the match 6-2 and took the second set 6-0.
Frahm and Ben Jarchow won their match against Levi Stoneberg and Noah U’Ren in straight sets. The Cardinal duo won the first and second sets by the score of 6-0.