Same score, different match
Abbi Delmore charges in to return the ball in her singles match against Baraboo on Tuesday. Delmore has found her niche as the Chiefs number four singles player, the lone non-senior in the group.
By Jim den Hollander
The Wisconsin Dells High School varsity girls tennis team enjoyed a bit of a breakthrough week that scores don't indicate. At first glance, a pair of 0-7 defeats against both Baraboo and Portage look like the same old same old. But to a player, the team showed a new fire and competitive spirit, in particular in the home match against Baraboo Tuesday. A quick look at the score doesn't indicate the aggressiveness and skill improvements and ultimately, frustration the players lived through in a match that saw them battle hard for every point. "I couldn't be prouder of the way they played," said head coach Larry Martin in a telephone interview later. From number one senior Karista Krueger to number four junior Abbi Delmore, the latter making her varsity singles debut a day prior, it was clear the Chiefs were not going to just roll over in this one. "The players are playing harder. They're more aggressive and their shot making is a lot better," summed up the coach. Krueger won the first game in both of her sets, but ultimately fell 1-6, 4-6. At number two singles, Christina Gehrke left everything she had on the court as well, ultimately surrendering a pair of 2-6 games. Jessica Luer grabbed some momentum late in the first set of her match, charging back from 2-5 before ultimately dropping a 5-7 decision, then dropped a difficult 4-6 bout in the second round. Delmore who has bounced around the team a little in her first season looking for a niche, was playing just her second singles match and she gave her opponent all she could handle. Dropping a 4-6 decision in the first match, Delmore evened things with a 6-3 second set win, but ultimately fell in the tiebreaker 2-6. In doubles play, the matches were equally as close, number one Jordan Bork and Amber Byrne battling hard, but falling 5-7, 2-6, Mykala McDonald and Amanda Moore ran into a tough squad losing 1-6, 0-6 meanwhile Erika McCabe and Mariah Peterson lost a pro set match 0-8. Portage 7 Wis. Dells 0 Portage, with some of the conference's best singles player put on a bit of a clinic in those matches, but again the Chiefs gave it all they had. Krueger fell 0-6, 1-6, Gehrke defeated 3-6, 1-6, Luer was downed 0-6, 1-6 and Delmore fell 3-6, 2-6. The doubles teams stepped up their efforts in a big way though, Bork and Byrne going the limit in a 3-6, 6-2, 6-7 (5) defeat. A lineup adjustment saw Tetyana Hladun playing with Mykala McDonald, the new pair falling 3-6, 0-6 in their debut. The number three team of McCabe and Peterson went to the wall in their match as well, eventually defeated 6-7 (3), 6-7 (6). North Badger Tennis Baraboo 7, Wisconsin Dells 0 Sept. 16 at Wisconsin Dells No. 1 Singles - laebots def. Krueger 6-1, 6-4; No. 2 Singles - Greve def. Gehrke 6-2, 6-2; No. 3 Singles - Martin def. Luer 7-5, 6-r; No. 4 Singles - Miller def. Delmore 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; No. 1 Doubles - Flentje/Holtz def. Bork/Byrne 7-7, 6-2; No. 2 Doubles Blidsten/Mcreath def. McDonald/Moore 6-1, 6-0; No. 3 doubles -Kuschmann/Philabaum def. McCabe/Peterson8-0. Portage 7, Wisconsin Dells 0 Sept. 18 at DeForest No. 1 Singles - Dohmen def. Krueger 6-0, 6-2; No. 2 Singles - Decker def. Gehrke 6-3, 6-1; No. 3 Singles - Muleller def. Luer 6-0, 6-1; No. 4 Singles - Dewald def. Delmore 6-3, 6-2; No. 1 Doubles - Krueger/Anderson def. Bork/Byrne 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5); No. 2 Doubles Cummings/Van Wormer def. McDonald/Hladun 6-3, 6-0;No. 3 doubles -Chapman/Schmudlach def. McCabe/Peterson 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6).