By Travis Smola
Vicksburg girls’ tennis is going through another rebuilding year, but the team picked up a big win against Conference rival Three Rivers at home.
The Bulldogs completely shut out the Wildcats 8-0. Junior Hailey Klimek took the number one singles 6-4, 6-1 while senior Adeline Reno won the number two singles 6-2, 6-0. Senior Zoe Blough had a strong showing at number three, winning 6-2, 6-0. Sophomore Chloe Stevens won by forfeit.
“The singles are pretty strong, so we’re liking that,” Head Coach Warner Offord said.
Doubles action was a little closer. Sophomores Anna Deal and Mattie Price had a drawn-out matchup in the number four singles that went three full sets before they closed it out. Sophomore Frances Howard and junior Marisa Oppedisano won the number three singles 7-5, 6-1 while sophomore Mikayla Sands and junior Kaitlynn Szydlowski beat their opponents 6-4, 6-2.
Senior Maia Fleck and sophomore Issabelle Hardy had a terrific showing for the number one doubles; the girls won 6-0, 6-0.
Up until the Three Rivers match, the first team win of the year, things had been tough for the Lady Bulldogs. The team lost dual meets to Caledonia, Edwardsburg, Parma Western and Stevensville Lakeshore. Offord noted they did lose a lot of players last season. “When you lose eight girls from last year, it’s always tough,” he said.