The St. Cloud Tech boys tennis team was a young group a couple of years ago, and those athletes have grown up now to present another good team for Alexandria to try to get past in the Central Lakes Conference and Section 8AA fields.
On Thursday, the Cardinals did just that in a 4-3 win over the Tigers. It moved Alexandria to 6-0 overall and to 3-0 in the CLC. The Cardinals won without one of their top players too, with senior Andrew Wegner, who plays first doubles, out of the lineup due to an illness.
“We are very proud of the way our guys battled even though we didn't play our best tennis at all the spots,” Alexandria head coach Dave Ronning said. “It was a good team win and we are happy to see guys stepping up in tough situations.”
The match was tied at 3-3 with first singles still on the court. Alexandria senior Jacob Partington had a 5-2 lead in the third set with the decisive fourth team point on the line. That’s when Tech’s Michael Plombom stormed back by winning the next four games.
“Jacob never quit and kept battling, and sent the set into a breaker,” Ronning said. “Jacob took an early 6-1 lead and ended it by winning 7-4.”
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That 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) win for Partington was part of some close matches up and down the lineup. Cardinals’ senior Gannon Lueck won 6-1, 6-4 at second singles, and Aaron Jost won a three-setter at fourth singles for Alexandria.
“Aaron started really well, but fell on some hard times in the second set before charging back to win the third set,” Ronning said.
St. Cloud Tech took the third singles spot and first and second doubles spots in tight matches. Alexandria’s Brennan Parker and Brennen Lattimer won 6-2, 6-3 at third doubles. That set the table for Partington as the senior captain delivered to keep the Cardinals undefeated.
ALEXANDRIA 4, ST. CLOUD TECH 3
SINGLES - No. 1 - Jacob Partington (A) def. Michael Plombom, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4); No. 2 - Gannon Lueck (A) def. Gavin Fenstad, 6-1, 6-4; No. 3 - Emilio Estevez (Tech) def. Landon Schabel, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5); No. 4 - Aaron Jost (A) def. Jonah Atkinson, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
DOUBLES - No. 1 - Andrew Plombom/Ripley Garden (Tech) def. Pieter Mulder/Owen Gilbertson, 6-3, 7-6 (2); No. 2 - Tomiwa Ajayi/Ben Eiynk (Tech) def. Dylan Nelson/Tyler Jabas, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; No. 3 - Brennan Parker/Brennen Lattimer (A) def. Jacob Vogel/Josh Vogel, 6-2, 6-3
