MEDFORD GIRLS TENNIS - Raiders still unbeaten in GNC, get first real tests at Altoona

The Medford Raiders continued to dominate in Great Northern Conference girls tennis play Tuesday, rolling to their fourth sweep in as many duals with a 7-0 shutout of visiting Antigo.

The Raiders made quick work of the Red Robins, taking all seven matches without much of a fight in straight sets.

With 56 points and a 4-0 record, Medford sits atop the GNC standings by 24 points over 2-1 Rhinelander, who the Raiders visit today, Thursday, and 26 points over 3-0 Newman Catholic, who appears to be Medford’s top challenger the rest of the way. The Cardinals come to Medford for a crucial 4:30 p.m. dual meet on Tuesday.

In the win over the Red Robins, the most competitive match was at numberone singles. Raider senior Tallula Hahn gave up a handful of games but was in control throughout in a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Hailey Burhop.

Kadence Weix blew by Antigo’s Elyse Packard 6-1, 6-0 at number-two, Caidyn Zenner shut out Evie Lucht in flight three 6-0, 6-0 and Raylin Rothmeier was a 6-1, 6-0 winner in flight four over Addison Burhop.

Rothmeier improved to 8-0 for the season in singles play, Zenner is 8-1 and Hahn and Weix are both 7-3.

Antigo only won two games in the three doubles matches.

Seniors Makenna Tlusty and Bayley Metz swept Antigo’s Faith Casetta and Matty Ratliff 6-0, 6-0 in flight one. Tlusty and Metz are 7-1 together.

Chloe Kapitz and Ellie Eckert moved to 9-1 overall with a 6-0, 6-2 win in flight two over Lindsey Beck and Madalyn Wilhelm. Uliah Etsitty and Averie Werner swept Antigo’s American Cruz Morales and Alexxus DesJarleis 6-0, 6-0.

Medford improved to 7-3 overall with Tuesday’s win. Along with the upcoming duals with Rhinelander and Newman Catholic, the Raiders will travel to Phillips on Sept. 11 in their quest to earn the program’s first-ever Great Northern Conference championship.

Altoona Invite

Medford’s run of four straight sweeps to start the season ended with two 4-3 losses on Friday and the Raiders finished 2-3 overall at the two-day Altoona Invitational.

The Raiders faced, by far, the best competition they’ve seen thus far, something they certainly needed after breezing past four undermanned squads to start the year. One of those teams was the host Railroaders, a team Medford will see in WIAA Division 2 post-season competition in October.

Altoona won the Friday dual meet 4-3 by sweeping the singles matches. Medford swept the doubles matches, highlighted by a tiebreaker in flight one. Tlusty and Metz lost the opening set 6-2 to Altoona’s Lucy Day and Elyse McCaffrey, but they evened the match by taking the second set 6-4. The 10-point match tiebreaker went the distance and then some, with Tlusty and Metz winning it 12-10.

In flight two, Kapitz and Eckert cruised past Altoona’s Brynn Bauman and Julie Her 6-0, 6-1. Rothmeier and Werner defeated Hudson Rosentrater and McKenzie Bekker 6-1, 6-2 in flight three.

The closest singles match came in flight three. Altoona sophomore Holly Her won the first set against Zenner in a tiebreaker 7-6 (2) and then completed the straightset win with a 6-2 set-two win.

Addie Peters beat Hahn in flight one 61, 6-0, Sheyenne Her beat Weix 6-4, 6-0 at number-two and Rylan Lutteke downed Raider Autumn Cooley 6-0, 6-1 at number-four.

Onalaska Luther won the other Friday dual, also by a 4-3 score. Three matches went to the 10-point match tiebreaker with Medford winning two. Zenner lost her first set to Ellie Burnet 7-5, but she came back with 6-3, 10-6 wins to take the match. Werner and Rothmeier did the same, bouncing back from a 6-3 loss in the first set with 6-1, 10-4 wins to take the match. Kapitz and Eckert defeated Grace Beyer and Shelby Erdmann 6-3, 6-2 at numbertwo doubles.

Weix edged Luther’s Kate Elliot 7-6 (2) in a tight first set at number-two singles, but Elliot got 6-1, 10-4 wins to take the match. Emma Kolb beat Hahn 6-1, 6-0 in flight one, Hannah Olson beat Medford’s Siara Yanko 6-2, 6-1 in flight four and Kenzie Olson and Keira Paus downed Tlusty and Metz 7-5, 6-2 at number-one doubles.

The Raiders easily took out Unity-Luck and Osceola by 6-1 margins on Saturday.

Against Unity-Luck, Medford swept the doubles matches. Tlusty and Metz beat Tya Volgren and Ashley Siefert 6-0, 6-2, Kapitz and Eckert beat Aryanna Tait and Addyson Tait 6-0, 6-0 and Werner and Rothmeier were 6-0, 6-0 winners over Elise Hansen and Tahia Swanson. Hahn won a marathon match at number-one singles, outlasting Breeyn Nelson 6-3, 5-7, 14-12. Weix won a second-set tiebreaker to hold off Christine Bertsch 6-4, 7-6 (6) and Zenner beat Khloe Jensen 6-4, 6-2. Addie Snook got Unity-Luck’s win at numberfour singles. She held on in a tiebreaker to beat Cooley 6-3, 2-6, 11-9.

Medford’s win over Osceola included a singles sweep. Hahn nearly shut out Hazel Wicklund, taking the number-one match 6-1, 6-0. Weix had no trouble with Mackenna Seelnacht 6-0, 6-2, Zenner rolled past Manon Brimbois 6-1, 6-2 and Rothmeier was a 6-2, 6-1 winner over Taylor Stafki.

Kapitz and Eckert filled the numberone doubles spot and won 6-0, 6-3 over Grace Cook and Ashley Slechta. Metz and Werner cruised in flight two 6-0, 6-2 over Jocelyn Matter and Izzy Neumann. Osceola’s Elli Hagen and Callie Radar beat Cooley and Yanko in flight three 7-6 (5), 6-4.

Medford also suffered a 6-1 loss to Eau Claire North, who went undefeated over the weekend. Metz and Zenner paired up to win the number-two doubles match 64, 6-1 over Camryn Peters and Kasia Jarzynski. North’s Ayla Quaschnick and Liz Bertelsen won a close match over Rothmeier and Werner at number-three 6-4, 7-5. Megan Drollinger and Aubrey Wendtland beat Kapitz and Eckert 6-1, 64 in flight one.

In North’s sweep of the singles matches, Lucy Brott beat Hahn 7-5, 6-0, Macy Schleusner beat Weix 6-1, 6-0, Kate Johnson beat Yanko 6-1, 6-1 and Haley Kautza beat Cooley 6-0, 6-1.

Medford 7, Lakeland 0

Hahn won two pressure sets at the end of her flight-one singles match Thursday to seal Medford’s fourth straight dualmeet sweep to start the season, including its third straight in GNC play, this one being a 7-0 sweep at Lakeland.

Hahn dropped the first set in her match 6-3 to Lakeland’s Sierra Wallace and then survived a tight second set 7-5 to send the match to a third-set 10-point tiebreaker. That went the distance and then some before Hahn finally won it 11-9.

Zenner’s match at number-three was close at first. The senior outlasted Lakeland sophomore Katy Janowiec in the first set, winning the tiebreaker 7-5 to take the set 7-6. But then Zenner took over, taking the second set 6-1.

At number-two, Weix defeated Maelle Lamers 6-1, 6-2 and Rothmeier downed TBird Vella Walden 6-1, 6-4.

In doubles, Medford’s teams had little trouble. Metz and Tlusty beat Nora DeVries and McKenna Byram 6-2, 6-0 in flight one. Kapitz and Eckert were 6-0, 6-1 winners over Addison Trapp and Olive Stockinger in flight two and Uliah Etsitty and Werner defeated Ellie Glisczinski and Carman Istudoer 6-4, 6-1.

Lakeland fell to 1-2 in GNC play with its loss.