Summer’s over.
Monticello’s high school sports came back last week with practices and scrimmages filling the schedule. A few teams played in some competitions, but none were more active than girls tennis.
The Magic won all three contests last week to kick off the tennis season, beating Fridley 7-0 to start on Thursday. They emerged victorious later that day 4-3 over Buffalo and won again the next day 7-0 over Moorhead. The Magic also beat Robbinsdale Armstrong 7-0 in a match with no stats recorded and then won 4-3 over St. Michael-Albertville Monday.
The Magic played host to the Tigers and Bison Thursday in a round robin season opening day. The first match ended with an easy 7-0 win for the Magic where they only surrendered a pair of games.
Haidyn Holker plays her second match of the day, this time against St. Cloud Crush. Holker helped the Magic start the season on a five-game winning streak.
Photo by Zane Douglas
Paisyn Wiley played well atop the Magic ladder, taking down Harper Helmer 6-0, 6-0. Wiley had the No. 1 singles spot against all three teams. Junior Haidyn Holker defeated Marta McCoy 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles and Bridget Huberty won 6-0, 6-0 at No.4 singles over Kayla Whetson.
Lyla Tice and Hope Vergin won 6-0, 6-1 in the No. 1 doubles slot against Clare McCoy and Anna Gbadoe. No. 2 doubles went to Jayden Larson and Taylor Marcus 6-0, 6-0 over Leah Martin and Anyssa Smith. Molly Huberty at No. 3 singles and the team of Avery Olinger and Autumn Montgomery at No. 3 doubles didn’t play and won by default to give the Magic a 7-0 shutout win.
The team’s next match that day didn’t go as easily. The Magic won 4-3 over the Bison thanks to an excellent day from their singles squad. Wiley lost 6-1, 6-0 for her only loss during the week, but Holker, Molly Huberty and Bridget Huberty all picked up a point.
Monticello tennis player Jayden Larson serves near the end of a close win over the No. 2 doubles team from St. Michael-Albertville. Larson and teammate Taylor Marcus won to give the Magic a 4-3 victory.
Photo by Zane Douglas
Holker took care of business at 6-1, 6-2 over Kate Siemek. Freshman Molly Huberty won 6-2, 6-4 over Jayda Sorensen. Eighth grader Bridget Huberty also won in straight sets, taking down a Bison senior in Payton Millerbernd 7-6, 6-2.
The Magic lost an epic battle at the top doubles spot. Maddie Kuzma and Sabrina Friesz just survived 7-6, 4-6, 12-10 over Tice and Vergin. At No. 3 doubles, the Bison got another win with a score of 7-6, 6-3 to beat Olinger and Montgomery in their first match of the year.
Larson and Marcus needed to give the Magic a doubles win and they did just that. The two juniors had their hands full, but won 6-4, 6-3 against Eden Peters and Margit Jayson.
No. 3 singles player Molly Huberty hits a shot for Monticello in a match against St. Cloud Crush on Aug. 24.
Photo by Zane Douglas
Monticello welcomed the Spuds to town Friday and beat its third team of the week, this time getting all seven points again.
Wiley got back in the win column 7-5, 6-2 against Ubin Kim. Holker beat Lauren Palmer 6-1, 6-1, Molly Huberty won 6-0, 6-1 against Jera Voxland and Bridget Huberty secured her third straight win 6-1, 6-1 over Zoey Brand.
On the doubles courts, Tice and Vergin bounced back for a 6-1, 6-1 win to take down Kylie Markuson and Kinzey Line. Larson and Marcus stayed undefeated, this time winning 6-3, 6-1 against Avie Voldseth and Elise Froslie. Montgomery welcomed senior Julia Haus to her team for a 6-2, 6-2 win over Abby Krauth and Jada Martinez.
Taylor Marcus hits a forehand in a clinching win over St. Michael-Albertville’s No. 2 doubles team. The junior from Monticello won with teammate Jayden Larson.
Photo by Zane Douglas
The Magic played a couple more Monday against St. Michael-Albertville and St. Cloud Crush.
The match against St. Cloud didn’t finish in time and will be made up after press time. As for the Knights, Monticello beat them 4-3 in dramatic fashion.
Wiley and Holker lost at the top of the ladder, while Haus and Montgomery lost at three doubles. Molly Huberty took down the No. 3 singles player for the Knights while Tice and Vergin secured another win at No. 1 doubles.
With the score sitting at 3-2 Knights, the final two matches went long, with Bridgget Huberty fighting for a point at No. 4 singles and Larson and Marcus aiming to secure No. 2 doubles. Huberty ended first with a win to tie the score at 3-3.
Monticello’s No. 4 singles player Bridget Huberty wins a close match against St. Michael-Albertville’s four singles on Aug. 24.
Photo by Zane Douglas
Larson and Marcus hung on thanks to clutch serving from Larson and good net play from Marcus to win and keep the Magic undefeated.
Molly Huberty, Bridget Huberty and Larson and Marcus remain undefeated individually after five matches.
The Magic finish the postponed match against St. Cloud before taking on Alexandria on Tuesday after press time.
After that, the Magic will play Delano and Brainerd in a triangular at Delano on Thursday starting at 1 p.m.