MARQUETTE — Marquette swept the doubles flights to take a 6-2 high school girls tennis victory over Menominee at the Sentinels’ courts on Thursday afternoon.

“I think (Thursday) was a day where we were able to show off the great depth of our team,” MSHS head coach Karl Thomsen said. 

He said that in part because some of his regulars weren’t available with others from the team stepping up at the No. 4 flights, both in singles and doubles.

Marquette’s Jillian Starr jumped in and won her No. 4 singles match 6-1, 6-0 over the Maroons’ Kaitlyn Menell.

“Jillian Starr stepped in at No. 4 singles and knocked the ball out of the park,” Thomsen said in an email detailing the match. “From the first point you could tell Jillian was on a mission as she hit the ball consistently throughout the match and placed it really well.”

Much the same was true for Mira Schneider and Megan Osier at No. 4 doubles for the Sentinels as they won 6-0, 7-5 over Menominee’s Aysa Nyhend and Ella Chouinard.

“The team of Mira Schneider and Megan Osier also jumped into the lineup at No. 4 doubles and came up with a hard-fought victory,” the coach said. “Most impressive about their win was their ability to overcome some bumps.

“After playing almost flawless tennis in the first set, the second set got a little tight. To Mira’s and Megan’s credit, they dug in when they needed and pulled out a nice victory.”

And the doubles sweep for the Sentinels had to start at the top at No. 1 doubles as Marquette’s Eva Kentala and Lola Rink won 7-5, 6-3 over the Maroons’ Ella Barker and Bionca Kurtz.

“At No. 1 doubles, it was great to see Eva Kentala and Lola Rink come up with a solid victory,” Thomsen said. “The level of their play has been really rising over the past couple of matches, so for them to close the door (Thursday) was great and well deserved.”

Marquette also got a victory from Nora Skytta at No. 2 singles, Kylie Smith and Logan McFarren at No. 2 doubles and Charlye Swajanen and Eva Dewitt at No. 3 doubles.

The Sentinels are back in action Monday, playing at Kingsford, then has the Great Northern Conference meet back in Kingsford on Wednesday morning.

Negaunee 8, Munising 0

On Thursday at Negaunee, Miners players dropped just four games across seven contested matches as NHS posted a shutout.

With No. 4 singles not being held due to a shortage of Mustangs players, four flights for Negaunee (11-1) posted “perfect” 6-0, 6-0 shutouts — by No. 1 singles player Lili Saunders, No. 3 singles Stella Lenten, No. 2 doubles tandem of Olivia Richards and Sadie Rogers, and the No. 4 doubles duo of Paige O’Donnell and Maia Brunette.

All five Marquette County teams will be back in action on Monday, with Gwinn at Westwood, Negaunee at Escanaba and Ishpeming at Gladstone.

The Mid-Peninsula Conference is at Negaunee on Thursday morning.

Marquette 6, Menominee 2

Thursday at Marquette

SINGLES — No. 1, Elena Murphy (MEN) def. Marin Johnson 6-2, 6-0; No. 2, Nora Skytta (MQT) def. Delany Wagner 6-3, 6-1; No. 3, Mady Mosey (MEN) def. Hailee LaCombe 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; No. 4, Jillian Starr (MQT) def. Kaitlyn Menell 6-1, 6-0

DOUBLES — No. 1, Eva Kentala-Lola Rink (MQT) def. Ella Barker-Bionca Kurtz 7-5, 6-3; No. 2, Kylie Smith-Logan McFarren (MQT) def. Bri Ary-Emily Schupeltz 7-5, 6-2; No. 3, Charlye Swajanen-Eva Dewitt (MQT) def. Melanie Franke-Mads Christensen 6-2, 6-0; No. 4, Mira Schneider-Megan Osier (MQT) def. Aysa Nyhend-Ella Chouinard 6-0, 7-5

Negaunee 8, Munising 0

Thursday at Negaunee

SINGLES — No. 1, Lili Saunders (N) def. Madelyn Richardson 6-0, 6-0; No. 2, Rheana Nelson (N) def. Kinley Hall 6-0, 6-1; No. 3, Stella Lenten (N) def. Harper Frusti 6-0, 6-0; No. 4, Addi Chapman (N) won by forfeit

DOUBLES — No. 1, Nicole Kerkela-Clare O’Donnell (N) def. Keira Albright-Addie Frusti 6-0, 6-2; No. 2, Olivia Richards-Sadie Rogers (N) def. Maddy Knuttila-Mylee Kulppi 6-0, 6-0; No. 3, Rebecca Lammi-Tori Poutanen (N) def. Kylie Syers-Camdyn Schultz 6-0, 6-1; No. 4, Paige O’Donnell-Maia Brunette (N) def. Elliot Dolaskie-Zoey Kidd 6-0, 6-0

Story contents based on email received from Negaunee head coach Megan Kerkela. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.