Raiders breeze past Loggers
The Medford Raiders completed the dual-meet portion of their Great Northern Conference girls tennis schedule Thursday by blowing away the Phillips Loggers 7-0 on a blustery afternoon at the MASH courts.
Southerly winds made things tricky for players on both sides of the court during the dual as Medford kept Phillips winless in league play. The Raiders finished 2-5 in GNC duals and improved to 4-11 overall with their second win in three days.
The only match to go to three sets came at number-three singles. Raider junior Makayla Motte earned her second win of the season in the flight by outlasting Logger Ella Teeters. Motte cruised through first set 6-1, but Teeters responded with a strong second set. Tied at 6-6, the set went to a tiebreaker, which Teeters won 7-2 to extend the match to a third set. Motte regained control in that set, winning it 6-2 to take the match.
Junior Autumn Higgins also got her second win in her flight, taking the number-one singles match 6-0, 6-0 over Breanna Hollinger. Morgan Huegli improved to 2-3 in the GNC and 4-7 overall at number-two singles with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Sophia DeByl. Christine Czeshinski got her first GNC win and second overall at number-four singles by routing Kylie Soberg 6-0, 6-2.
The doubles matches weren’t close.
Raider seniors Sophie Brost and Lindsey Wildberg took the number-one match 6-0, 6-1 over Rachel Fusak and Brooke Stein. Brost and Wildberg went 3-2 in GNC duals at that flight and are 6-4 overall together.
Senior Kelsey Jascor and sophomore Masaeda Krug took down Amy Kerner and Isabelle Teeters 6-1, 6-0 in flight two. They are 4-1 in the GNC at that flight and 9-6 overall while playing in flights one or two this fall.
Juniors Myah Smith and Eryka Seidl eased past Arianna Riley and Ariel Henney 6-1, 6-0 at number-three doubles. They are 5-1 in the flight and 5-2 overall in GNC play. They are 8-4 together for the season.
With 20 match wins in its seven GNC duals, the Raiders have 40 points heading into Saturday’s Great Northern Conference tournament in Antigo, where Rhinelander will, barring something drastic, clinch its third GNC title in four years and 10th title in 12 seasons. With 84 points, the Hodags hold a 22-point lead over Stevens Point Pacelli and Antigo going into the meet. Medford sits in fifth place, 10 points behind Lakeland.
The Raiders host a double-dual today, Thursday, with Wisconsin Rapids Assumption and Ashland. The meet starts at 1:30 p.m.
