HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The McPherson Middle School girls tennis team finished out their season with a Patriot League championship on Tuesday at Prairie Hills Middle School.
The Bullpups competed in eight divisions overall with four singles players and four doubles teams. Four of those divisions brought home first place.
In #1 Doubles, Audrey Pflughoeft and Sloan Shober finished 2-0 and took first place. Karsen Greer and Mabel Jones also teamed up to finish 2-0 and first place in #3 Doubles. The #4 Doubles team of Abrielle Yoder and Alison Palacios also had a 2-0 first place finish. In #4 Singles, Dez Fritz captured the gold with a 2-0 record as well.
In #1 Singles, Addie Schneider was 2-1 on the day and finished in second place, while Elsie Walters was also 2-1 and finished in second place. The #2 doubles team of Aly Jo Rausch and Paityn Behrens finished 2nd at 2-1 as well.
Rounding out the final results, Halle Schneider went 2-1 and finished third place in #3 Singles.
McPherson finished with 164 points as a team, six points better than Winfield in second with 158. Prairie Hills took third place at 107.
Comments from MMS Tennis Coach Henry Weiner:
On a beautiful day for tennis, the MMS tennis team successfully defended their league title with a strong team performance across the board, with every team member medaling. Watching the team play, it is impressive how much they have grown this season, both as tennis players, competitors, and people.
In #1 singles, Addie Schneider has developed the skill to analyze her own play, regularly meeting me at the fence with areas that she needs to improve her game. As a coach, it is fantastic to see a player thinking and analyzing her game, looking for areas she can improve during the match. Our #2 singles player, Elsie Walters, worked extremely hard during 2 matches, fighting her way back to a tiebreak in the championship. Elsie listens and is extremely coachable, taking the advice during each changeover and working to apply it during her matches, which is a skill that will serve her well moving forward. Halle Schneider, our #3 singles entry, was our tiebreak queen today, dropping a tiebreak in her semifinal before winning one in the 3rd-place match. Halle runs down every ball she can, working extremely hard throughout each point, and her effort level is incredible. Our #4 singles player, Dez Fritz, is also a tremendously hard worker, and has improved an incredible amount for a first-year player. It was fantastic to see her fight back to win her semifinal in a tiebreak, demonstrating excellent mental toughness and resilience.
In doubles, Audrey Pflughoeft and Sloan Shober got to team up again this season at #1 doubles, winning another league championship as a doubles team. After playing together during orange ball, all season last year, and throughout this season when they were both healthy, they have developed excellent camaraderie, and their friendship and comfort with each other shows on the court. Our #2 doubles team, Aly Jo Rausch and Paityn Behrens, also played very well together this season, winning matches with combinations of strong net play, excellent baseline rallies, and good, supportive teamwork. In #3 doubles, Karsen Greer and Mabel Jones capped off an undefeated season as a doubles team, winning their matches today with strong serves, great cross-court angles, and excellent communication. Lastly, our #4 doubles team, Abrielle Yoder and Alison Palacios, cruised through their matches on the way to the championship, winning points with consistent shots, strong serves, and good shot placement at the net.
