By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
NILES—The girls tennis teams from Allegan and Brandywine met for a SAC/Lakeland match on Monday, April 28, and the battles and No. 1 and No. 2 doubles were fierce.
And while the teams split those flights—Allegan’s No. 2 team of Madison Cook/Ireland Dewey won 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1 and the No. 1 team of Taylor Fuller/Hanna Kievit lost 6-3, 6-7, 7-3—it was the Tigers who prevailed overall by a 5-3 score.
“Just like in years past, this match was very competitive,” Allegan coach Damien Arthur said.
Also winning for Allegan were No. 1 singles Addy Fales (6-0, 6-0), No. 3 singles Kendall Halstead (6-4, ret.), No. 3 doubles Sophia Augustine/Emma Scheffler (6-4, 6-0) and No. 4 doubles Lilli Kelley/Shy Thompson (6-1, 7-5).
On Saturday, April 26, Allegan traveled to Grand Rapids for the seven-team Mustang Invitational at NorthPointe Christian. In addition to the seventh-ranked Tigers, the tourney also featured two other teams ranked in Division 4: No. 3 Traverse City St. Francis and No. 6 NorthPointe.
And despite missing four of its top 14 players, the Tigers tied Elk Rapids for the most matches won and ended up in fourth place.
NorthPointe won, followed by TC St. Francis and Elk Rapids.
No. 1 doubles Kievit/Fuller and No. 3 doubles Augustine/Scheffler had the best showing for the Tigers, winning their respective flights.
No. 4 doubles Kelley/Kaylee Haas were runner-up.
Two days before that, on Thursday, April 24, the Tigers swept league rival South Haven 8-0.
At singles, No. 1 Fales, No 2 Judith Ducurau and No. 4 Serenity Puente each won 6-0, 6-0, while No. 3 Halstead won 6-1, 6-1.
Fuller/Kievit took their No. 1 doubles match 6-0, 6-0. No. 2 Cook/Haas and No. 3 Augustine/Haley Mellon both dropped just one game, while No. 4 Kelley/Thompson won 6-3, 6-0.
