Arrow netters sting The Sting, 5-2


The Arrows returned to form and made progress in nailing down a solid lineup Thursday in Granite Falls, as the Pipestone Area girls’ tennis team improved to 3-2 on the season with a 5-2 victory over The Sting of Yellow Medicine East.

“I think we’re finally getting a lineup we can live with, so that’s helping,” Pipestone Area head coach Ed Gustafson said. “That would be a big plus because we were struggling to find a No. 3 doubles team and still looking at the No. 4 singles position. I think the rest will stay where they’re at, but getting that lineup completed will really help.”

Although she again had her hands full in a 2-6, 1-6, loss to Anne Clarke, Arrow No. 1 Paige Ahrendt played a smart match to open singles play Thursday.

Lauren Lapthorn and Hannah Berg were strong back up, as the former claimed a 3-6, 6-2, 10-6 (super tiebreaker) decision over Whitney Tennis and the latter eased past Chelsea Hoernemann, 6-1, 6-1, at Nos. 2 & 3 singles, respectively.

Although she bowed out in her first varsity action, Olivia Lapthorn made a case for herself at No. 4 singles. The freshman was a 7-5 winner in the first set of her tilt with Emily Johnson, but eventually ran out of steam – dropping the second set and tiebreaker, 1-6, 3-10.

“Gianna (Njau) was gone so we put Olivia in there,” Gustafson said. “She hung in there, played well, but ran out of gas a little bit. Eventually she’ll be in there, next season, and if she continues to press Gianna maybe we’ll see her later this year. We’ll see how it goes.”

Having split the singles matches, the Arrows needed at least two of the three doubles matches to go their way.

They got all three.

Playing together again, after opening the season with different partners, seniors Paige Morgan and Aspen Schelhaas joined forces to fend off YME’s Chelsey Niemeyer and Macie Sik, 5-7, 7-5, 10-7 at No. 1 doubles.

“They started off well and then had a little trouble… had to go to a tiebreaker,” Gustafson said. “They pushed through, though, and got the win.”

The Arrows’ Nos. 2 & 3 doubles teams had an easier go of it, as Carmen Skyberg and Adrianna Johnson beat out YME’s Emilee Speh and Hannah Lecy, 6-2, 6-1, in the second doubles tilt and Courtney Kanthak and Mataya Douty stepped up for a 6-3, 6-0, victory over Ashley Niemeyer and Cherish Hammer at No. 3.

“Courtney is really the catalyst there, and we’ll see who she plays best with,” Gustafson said. “It could be Tricia (Nissen), Maciah (Lorang) or Mataya… have to see who steps up there.”

The Arrows are hoping the lineup will be solid enough to get past their nemesis St. James Thursday afternoon in St. James.

“They’re always so tough, and I hope we can just get over there and give them a good match – be competitive,” Gustafson said.