Card girls' tennis: Alexandria falls in Section 8AA individual tennis tournament

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The Alexandria tennis team was well represented in the second round of the Section 8AA individual tennis tournament last Tuesday as every Cardinal participant advanced through the opening round.

Jenna Galstad stood tall for the Cardinals as she advanced to the semifinals on Thursday where her season came to an end against some tough competition. Alexandria’s No. 1 singles player went up against the top seed in the south subsection in St. Cloud Apollo’s Brianna Anderson. Anderson was too tough, winning 6-2, 6-1 before eventually going on to win the section title.

That dropped Galstad to the third-place match, where she faced Joelle Langworthy of Detroit Lakes. Galstad had her opponent on the ropes with a 6-5 lead in the first set and a 40-15 advantage with Langworthy serving. The Lakers’ top singles player fought back and forced a tiebreaker that went back and forth before she secured the set 7-6 (8). That was tough for Galstad to overcome as she dropped the second set 6-1.

“After that heartbreaking loss in the first set, Jenna was unable to get back into the match mentally,” head coach Dave Ronning said. “She fought the best she knew how but the damage was done…Jenna went to new heights this season and just when you thought she was going to be out matched, she would surprise everyone and play her heart out and come up with a win. First singles is always a battle, no matter who you play, and Jenna showed us all what hard work and determination can do if you try hard enough.”

Galstad got to the semifinals by outlasting two Fergus Falls players on Tuesday. She beat Lindsay Kimball 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the quarterfinals after taking care of Caitlyn Nygaard in the second round. Galstad had lost to Kimball earlier in the season.

Rachel Astrup had the challenge of playing Kimball in her first match of the day on Tuesday. The Fergus Falls’ ace was too much in that match, winning 6-0, 6-1 to knock Astrup from the tournament.

Both Alexandria doubles teams advanced to the quarterfinals with wins in the second round. Kristen Schmidt and Ellie Bergstrand beat a duo from Bemidji in straight sets, while Brianna Ebert and Rebecca Lukes took down Brianna Seebold and Tess Hamre of Detroit Lakes.

Schmidt and Bergstrand ran into the top seed from the north subsection in the quarterfinals. Cortney Solberg and Jessica Solberg of Bemidji were too much for the Alexandria duo as they won 6-0, 6-1.

Ebert and Lukes ran into the same trouble against the second seeded team from the north. Brainerd’s Kayla Kremer and Mikinzee Salo were too much for them in the quarterfinals as they knocked the Cardinal duo from the tournament with a 6-2, 6-1 match.

SECTION 8AA SINGLES/DOUBLES

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Thursday

SEMIFINALS – Brianna Anderson (SCA) def. Jenna Galstad (A), 6-2, 6-1; THIRD-PLACE MATCH – Joelle Langworthy (DL) def. Galstad, 7-6 (8), 6-1

Tuesday

QUARTERFINALS – SINGLES – Galstad (A) def. Lindsay Kimball (FF), 7-5, 7-6 (3); DOUBLES – Cortney Solberg/Jessica Solberg (BEM) def. Kristen Schmidt/Ellie Bergstrand (A), 6-0, 6-1; Kayla Kremer/Mikinzee Salo (BRA) def. Brianna Ebert/Rebecca Lukes (A), 6-2, 6-1

SECOND ROUND – SINGLES – Lindsay Kimball (FF) def. Rachel Astrup (A), 6-0, 6-1; Galstad (A) def. Caitlyn Nygaard (FF), 6-0, 6-1; DOUBLES – Schmidt/Bergstrand (A) def. Emma Nielsen/Katie Ditmanson (BEM), 7-5, 6-3; Ebert/Lukes (A) def. Brianna Seebold/Tess Hamre (DL), 6-1, 6-1

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