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Negaunee, Westwood post high school girls tennis wins

NEGAUNEE — The Negaunee High School girls tennis team didn’t drop a set in the seven contested matches and lost only four games total in an 8-0 victory over Munising on Thursday afternoon.

“Our group as a whole has done a nice job of sustaining its focus so far,” said Miners head coach Kyle Saari, whose team improved to 14-0. “One emphasis all year has been improving our feet and steps between shots, and we’re much improved in that area from the first meet.”

He mentioned his No. 3 flights, both of which posted 6-0, 6-0 whitewashes — singles player Lexi Mason and the doubles tandem of Madi Austin and Emma Miller.

“Madi and Emma were aggressive today and finished a lot of balls,” Saari said. “Lexi has added a shot or two to her game by hitting a few sharper angles, and that’ll help her as we finish.”

The end-of-the-season MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals are less than two weeks away on Sept. 30 or Oct. 1.

In No. 1 flights on Thursday, Negaunee’s Lilly Nelson upended the Mustangs’ Logan Peters 6-1, 6-1 in singles, while the Miners’ Morgan Carlson and Katelyn Lammi downed Munising’s Skylar Campbell and Maci Cornish 6-1, 6-0 in doubles.

Munising has a makeup match at Ishpeming this afternoon, while Negaunee is back in action Monday with a home meet against Escanaba.

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Marquette 8, Ishpeming 0

On Thursday in Marquette, the only competitive tension came at No. 4 doubles, where the Redettes’ Nistha Gautam and Sam Heikkila needed three sets to outlast the Hematites’ Addison Morton and Jenna Maki 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Marquette won the other seven flights without dropping a set, and in fact lost just four games in those matches.

That included a 6-1, 6-0 win posted by MSHS’ No. 1 singles player Campbell Kallio over Ishpeming’s Ella Luke, and a 6-0, 6-0 victory imposed by the No. 1 doubles team of Zoey Brian and Bre Sandstrom over Jocelynn Nyman and Ella DeMarois.

Both teams return to action Monday with road meets as Marquette will be at Kingsford and Ishpeming is at Gladstone.

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Westwood 5, Marquette 3

On Wednesday at Westwood, the Redettes had a chance to forge a tie before the Patriots’ No. 2 singles player Jillian Koski won the only three-set match of the meet, defeating Marquette’s Haddie Ketzenberger 6-7 (2-7), 7-5, 6-3.

“I was proud of the way my girls battled,” Westwood head coach Sarah Massie said. “We’ve had a long week with this being our fourth match in three days. Having been on the road (Tuesday) and a few lineup changes, I was really happy with how we played. We had to really fight until the end in a few flights and are better because of it.

“Jillian Koski battled at No. 2 singles to win a three-hour, three-set match. These are the type of situations that prepare us to play our best tennis as we approach the conference meet and the (Upper Peninsula Finals).”

The Pats also picked up straight-sets victories with No. 3 singles player Lindsay Williams, No. 4 singles player Mallory Leece, the No. 1 doubles tandem of Ellie Miller and Natalie Prophet and No. 2 doubles duo of Avery Mariuzza and Allison Korpi.

Marquette registered straight-sets victories with No. 1 singles player Kallio, the No. 3 doubles pair of Eliina Brazeau and Kaia Miller and No. 4 doubles duet of Gautam and Heikkila.

On Monday, Westwood visits Gwinn.

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Westwood 5, Kingsford 3

On Tuesday at Kingsford, the Patriots won the first three flights in singles and split doubles with the Flivvers.

Kingsford coach Tracy Rutter said that the wind was definitely a factor, though it is something that can’t be controlled.

She also noted that Westwood is always a tough opponent with a well-run program.

The Patriots won the only two matches that went to the pro-style third set — Leece defeated Kyle Mitchell 4-6, 6-4, 10-6 at No. 3 singles, while the No. 3 doubles tandem of Kalle Keranen and Lindsey Williams survived a 6-1, 4-6, 12-10 match over Brooke Bittinger and Macy Holmes.

Pats’ No. 1 singles player Jenna Wealton had a dominating 6-0, 6-0 win in her match.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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