HUXLEY – The Clarke girls tennis team fell to Ballard 7-2 April 10, but the overall score doesn't show just how close the match was.
Megan Linskens, Brittany Beckett and CeJay Blakely all found their matches in a winner-take-all third set tiebreak.
Linskens and Blakely both dropped their match-deciding tiebreaks by two points while Beckett won hers.
On the doubles side, Beckett found herself in another decisive tiebreak with partner Meredyth Olson at No. 3 doubles. Once again the Lady Indians tennis team came out on the wrong side of a two-point defeat.
"We figured that would be are hardest one of the year ... on paper anyway," said head coach Jeff Ehrhardt. "We win those three, we win the match. But, I thought the girls played well."
Big points didn't decide Deseree Stubbe's match at No. 4 singles at she picked up the other Clarke win with a 7-5, 6-2 defeat of Lindsey Kaldenberg of Ballard.
Clarke boys host tough Ballard squad
The Ballard boys came to Osceola and left Clarke on the wrong side of every match, defeating the Indians 9-0 April 10.
"They were pretty good," said Ehrhardt of assistant coach Christa Subbert's assessment. "They returned most of their players back ... We knew last week boys and girls both would be tough."
The closest matches of the day came at No. 1 singles and No. 3 doubles.
Sam Reynoldson fell 8-4 at No. 1 singles to Caleb Hamerlinck, who advanced to state last year.
"We had some chances. Sam was up 4-1 ... and gave up seven games in a row," said Ehrhardt of Reynoldson's fast start.
The duo of Ryan Bobolz and Timber Kent dropped their match 8-5 to Colin Anderson and Jacob Alden of Ballard.
Girls rebound against Knoxville
The Lady Indians tennis team rebounded from their tough loss to Ballard with a 7-2 win over Knoxville in Osceola April 12.
Clarke walked through five singles matches, No. 2 through No. 6, as none of the five girls dropped more than four games over the course of their 8-game pro set.
Blakely and Stubbe grabbed another win at No. 2 doubles, by a final score of 8-2 and Beckett and Olson won by the same margin at No. 3 doubles.
"They know what to do," said Ehrhardt. "Depth-wise we only have seven girls, however all seven know how to play."
With a lineup of upperclassmen, Ehrhardt was glad that his squad took care of business against an equally veteran Knoxville team.
With the win, the Lady Indians improved to 3-1 this season.
Boys fall to Knoxville
KNOXVILLE – Missing their No. 5 and No. 6 singles players, the Indians fell to Knoxville 6-3 April 12 at Knoxville.
Replacing Ryan Bobolz and Timber Kent were underclassmen TJ Woods and Dalton Stubbe.
Woods fell 8-0 at No. 5 and Stubbe lost 8-4 at No. 6.
"Our young kids stepped up and played well. It was just the inexperience of their first varsity match," said Ehrhardt.
Sam Reynoldson responded from his loss earlier in the week with an 8-3 win at No. 1 singles and an 8-6 win at No. 1 doubles with Zach Smith.
Nathan Porter picked up the other Clarke boys win with an 8-3 defeat of Aiden Zoutte at No. 4 singles.
The loss dropped the Clarke boys tennis team to 1-3 overall on the year.
Varsity cards
Girls at Ballard
Katie Rietz, Ballard, def. Sydney Sickels, Clarke, 6-0, 6-3; Anna Zielke, Ballard, def. Megan Linskens, Clarke, 6-7, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10); Brittany Beckett, Clarke, def. Kari Holmes, Ballard, 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5); Deseree Stubbe, Clarke, def. Lindsey Kaldenberg, Ballard, 7-5, 6-2; Hannah Elliot, Ballard, def. CeJay Blakely, Clarke, 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8); Jennna Hernandez, Ballard, def. Meredyth Olson, Clarke, 6-1, 6-2.
Rietz/Zielke, Ballard, def. Sickels/Linskens, Clarke, 6-3, 6-4; Holmes/Hernandez, Ballard, def. Stubbe/Blakely, Clarke, 6-2, 6-3; Kaldenberg/Elliot, Ballard, def. Beckett/Olson, Clarke, 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 (10-8).
Boys v. Ballard
Caleb Hamerlinck, Ballard, def. Sam Reynoldson, Clarke, 8-4; Max Olsan, Ballard, def. Zach Smith, Clarke, 8-3; Chase Winterboer, Ballard, def. Brandon Chavez, Clarke 8-0; Seth Wohlgemuth, Ballard, def. Nathan Porter, Clarke, 8-2; Colin Anderson, Ballard, def. Ryan Bobolz, Clarke, 8-1; Tanner DeMaris, Ballard, def. TJ Woods, Clarke, 8-2.
Hamerlinck/Olsan, Ballard, def. Reynoldson/Smith, Clarke, 8-5; Winterboer/Wohlgemuth, Ballard, def. Chavez/Porter, 8-2; Anderson/Jacob Alden, Ballard, def. Bobolz/Timber Kent, Clarke, 8-5.
Girls v. Knoxville
Alex Griggs, Knox, def. Sydney Sickels, Clarke, 8-5; Megan Linskens, Clarke, def. Hannah Short, Knox, 8-4; Brittany Beckett, Clarke, def. Anna Sanderson, Knox, 8-1; Deseree Stubbe, Clarke, def. Carly Still, Knox, 8-0; CeJay Blakely, Clarke, def. Isabella Ippolito, Knox, 8-0; Meredyth Olson, Clarke, def. Sam Beller, Knox, 8-3.
Griggs/Short, Knox, def. Sickels/Linskens, Clarke, 8-3; Stubbe/Blakely, Clarke, def. Sanderson/Still, Knox, 8-2; Beckett/Olson, Clarke, def. Ippolito/Beller, Knox, 8-2.
Boys at Knoxville
Sam Reynoldson, Clarke, def. Ben Wallace, Knox, 8-3; Tyler Wells, Knox, def. Zach Smith, Clarke, 8-5; RJ Roberts, Knox, def. Brandon Chavez, Clarke, 8-3; Nathan Porter, Clarke, def. Aidan Zoutte, Knox, 8-3; Gabe Mathan, Knox, def. TJ Woods, Clarke, 8-0; Spencer Hall, Knox, def. Dalton Stubbe, Clarke 8-4.
Reynoldson/Smith, Clarke, def. Wallace/Roberts, Knox, 8-6; Wells/Zoutte, Knox, def. Chavez/Porter, Clarke, 8-6; Mathas/Hall, Knox, def. Woods/Evan Hagen, Clarke, 8-3.