The Luverne Cardinals received their first tennis setback of the season when they dropped a 6-1 decision to Fairmont Tuesday, Aug. 31, in Luverne.
LHS was able to bounce back on Friday, Sept. 3, with a 5-2 decision over Lac Qui Parle Valley in Madison.
Two games were postponed due to weather.
Luverne started a match with River Valley on Monday, Aug. 30, but stopped due to lightning. The Cardinals were also scheduled to play a second match on Friday in Montevideo, but that match was postponed due to rain.
Luverne 1, Fairmont 6
LHS went 1-3 in singles competition and went 0-3 in doubles to suffer their first loss of the season Aug. 31 in Luverne.
The lone win on the day came at No. 4 singles. Roselynn Hartshorn was able to win the match in a third set tiebreaker over Abi Peyman 6-3, 6-7 (0), and 10-7.
At No. 1 singles, Mia Wenzel lost to Claire Nemmers 2-6, 4-6. Kristin Rud playing No. 2 singles was defeated by Briana Joseph 3-6, 0-6, and Hope Thorson lost to Maggy Totzke 0-6, 0-6 at No. 3 singles.
In doubles play, Olivia Wieneke and Jacey Smith lost a three-set match to Lauren Davis and Ellie Hernes winning the first set 6-1, but losing the next two by scores of 2-6, 1-6.
At No. 2 doubles, Sarah Stegenga and Katharine Kelm lost to Libby Totzke and Hope Klanderud 0-6, 3-6. Tori Hemme and Priscilla Muehr were beaten by Anika Haugen and Johanna Petschke by scores of 4-6, 1-6 at No. 3 doubles.
“Fairmont is a very talented team. Many of the girls have been playing varsity matches for the last three to four years,” said Luverne coach Jon Beers.
“I thought that Roselynn played a great match. She was able to come back and get the win in a super tiebreaker for the third set after losing the second set in a tiebreaker. Mia at No. 1 singles and Olivia and Jacey at No. 1 doubles also had good matches with their very tough opponents.”
Luverne 5, Lac Qui Parle Valley 2
The Cardinals were able to take two of four singles matches and sweep the doubles matches to win 5-2 in Madison Friday.
“We switched our lineup for the LQPV match,” Beers said. “I wanted to see some of the girls play with different partners in doubles and play some girls in singles that had only played doubles so far this year. I was really happy with the way all the girls played on Friday.”
At No. 1 singles Wenzel defeated Katelyn Wittnebel in a great three-set match 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Smith lost a hard-fought three-set match at No. 2 singles to Maddie Matthies 6-2, 3-6, 2-6. Kelm, playing her first singles match of the year, lost to Hanna Oie 3-6, 4-6. At No. 4 singles, Hartshorn won easily over Kali Bormann 6-1, 6-1.
In doubles, Wieneke and Rud, playing together for the first time, defeated Sarah Halvorson and Claire Lowry 6-2, 6-3. At No. 2 doubles, Thorson and Stegenga, also playing for the first time this year, beat Kayla Jahn and Sadie Hacker 3-6, 6-3, 10-6. Hemme and Muehr defeated Taylen Jorgenson and Gertie Sieg by identical 6-1 scores.
Luverne was scheduled to return to action on Tuesday with a match at Blue Earth Area (after Star Herald press time) and a home match on Thursday against Marshall.