MARQUETTE — With the season winding down, the Marquette Senior High School girls tennis team won three of four flights in both singles and doubles to take a 6-2 victory over visiting Kingsford on Tuesday afternoon.

Marquette’s Great Northern Conference meet was Wednesday at Kingsford, while the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in Division 1 and Division 2 is next Wednesday, D-1 at Westwood and D-2 at Kingsford. Marquette is a D-1 team.

So Sentinels head coach Karl Thomsen knew how important his team’s final home match was.

“It was a fun day today at the Shiras Courts (in Marquette) as we celebrated our graduating seniors and had a really good match versus a tough Kingsford squad,” the coach said in an email detailing the result. “We have had some close matches of late where we just could not come up with the key points.

“(On Tuesday) we were able to reverse that. Our No. 1 doubles team and Nora Skytta at No. 2 singles were prime examples of flights that were able to step up when the match got tight.”

“Eva Kentala and Lola Rink complemented each other well today during the No. 1 doubles match. These two have continued to show growth in their doubles IQ over the past few weeks and it shined the most during the second-set tiebreak. It was great to see them seal the deal.”

Kentala and Rink pulled out a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) victory over the Flivvers’ Aubrey Bellmore and Kylee Woodward, while Skytta needed three sets to dispatch Kingsford’s Maddy Sleik, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

“Nora Skytta really dug deep today and had a great rally in the third set. Nora was down 5-4 in the third set and put shot after shot together to help pull off a huge victory.

“Finding a way to win these close sets and matches are what we needed heading into the GNC tournament and U.P. Finals.”

The meet’s other three-set match went the Flivvers’ way with Alaysa Bacon and Mira Johnson at No. 2 doubles taking a 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 win over the Sentinels’ Kylie Smith and Logan McFarren.

Marquette 6, Kingsford 2

Tuesday at Marquette

SINGLES — No. 1, Aubrie Moore (K) def. Marin Johnson 6-0, 6-0; No. 2, Nora Skytta (M) def. Maddy Sleik 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; No. 3, Stella Dehlin (M) def. Maddy Zeuske 6-0, 6-0; No. 4, Kirra Longton (M) def. Chloe Lanning 6-1, 6-0

DOUBLES — No. 1, Eva Kentala-Lola Rink (M) def. Aubrey Bellmore-Kylee Woodward 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); No. 2, Alaysa Bacon-Mira Johnson (K) def. Kylie Smith-Logan McFarren 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2; No. 3, Charlye Swajanen-Eva Dewitt (M) def. Natalie Bjorne-Macy Gleasu 6-4, 6-1; No. 4, Brynn Helman-Grace Jandreau (M) def. Claire Rutter-Verity Martin 6-3, 6-1

Story contents based on email received from MSHS head coach Karl Thomsen. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.