Boys' tennis: Cardinal duo in finals of 8AA

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The Alexandria duo of Reggie Ronning and Connor Illies advanced to the semifinals of the Section 8AA doubles tournament with a straight-set win over their counterparts from Elk River on Tuesday.

Ronning and Illies have anchored the Cardinals’ singles lineup for most of the season, but they have proven through the Section 8AA tournament that they complement each other well in doubles competition. The two joined up to beat Elk River’s Luke Werner and Bob Johnson 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday.

“Reggie and Connor started slow but with good serving and strong net play, they worked their way into the flow of the match and went on to win,” head coach Dave Ronning said.

Luke Eberly also took part in the individual section tournament where he was matched up with another Elks player in Brendon O’Connell. O’Connell came in as the No. 1 seed and showed why as he defeated Eberly 6-0, 6-1.

“Brendon is one of the top players in the state,” Ronning said. “But Luke said he had a fun match and played the way he likes to play.”

The win by Ronning and Illies advanced them to the semifinals for a 9 a.m. match on Wednesday.

SECTION 8AA INDIVIDUAL/DOUBLES TOURNAMENT

SINGLES – Brendon O’Connell (ER) def. Luke Eberly, 6-0, 6-1

DOUBLES – Reggie Ronning/Connor Illies (A) def. Luke Werner/Bob Johnson, 6-4, 6-1

Tags: alexandria sports, sports, boys, tennis, cardinals, section, 8aa