Viking girls tennis team plays state champion in first meet of new season

It wasn't the easiest way to start a new season.  The Decorah Viking girls tennis team lost to defending state champion Dubuque Wahlert on Thursday evening, with Wahlert winning by7 a convincing 9-0 margin.

Said Viking head coach Larry Berland, "Going into a meet this early in the season against an opponent with a huge margin in experience and indoor practice facility access throughout the winter months had the potential to create problems and it did."

At #1 singles, Decorah's Logan Thompson played a match against returning state singles champ Sarah Dalton that was more competitive than the 2-6, 0-6 score indicates.  At #2 singles, Decorah's Tori Dahlen played a very smart and aggressive match against Wahlert's Celia Morton, a state qualifier from last year for Dubuque.

In doubles, Kristen Malanaphy and Megan Vande Lune at #3 doubles played a competitive 5-8 match against the Wahlert doubles team.  At #2 doubles, Katrina Shindelar and Kylie Kruse went up against Wahlert's Rachel and Anna Wright--state doubles qualifiers for the past three years--and had them in dire straights in many games before letting them escape and win the match.

The next meets for the girls tennis team are at the Cedar Rapids Kennedy Tournament on Saturday, at  Osage on Monday and at Oelwein on Tuesday.

Singles
1. Logan Thompson vs. Sarah Dalton (Wahlert) 2-6, 0-6
2. Tori Dahlen vs. Celia Morton (Wahlert) 1-6, 0-6
3. Katrina Shindelar vs. Rachel Wright (Wahlert) 1-6, 1-6
4. Kristen Malanaphy vs. Anna Wright (Wahlert) 1-6, 0-6
5. Kylie Kruse vs. Claire Morton (Wahlert) 4-6, 0-6
6. Megan VandeLune vs. Katie Meyer (Wahlert) 2-6, 1-6
7. Catherine Moeller vs. Kendra Dodds (Wahlert) 2-6, 1-6
8. Erica Bjelland vs. Katie Meyer (Wahlert) 2-8 (Darkness)

Doubles
1. Thompson-Dahlen vs. Dalton-Morton (Wahlert) 0-6, 0-6
2. Shindelar-Kruse vs. Wright-Wright (Wahlert) 2-10 (Darkness)
3. Malanaphy-VandeLune vs. Morton-Dodds (Wahlert) 5-8 (Darkness)