First matches show Logger potential
Coming into their first matches of the season, the Libby High School tennis team was moving around a bit and finding their groove, but the coaches are happy with what they saw on the courts.
Libby assistant Coach Terry Oedewaldt said by email that the team exceeded expectations for their first competition of the year, especially with much of their workout so far this season coming from shoveling snow.
The boys held their own against Polson, despite falling 1-3, Oedewaldt said.
Sophomore Ryker McElmurry and junior Cayman Lee stepped up to the top two singles spots and played well both there and in a doubles match against Hamilton, he said. Though They fell to their Hamilton opponents, they came close to a win.
Junior Tyler Serna and freshman Ryan Collins did double-duty as well, competing both as a doubles pair and individually.
“Both of them are new to the team and new to tennis,” Oedewaldt said.
Yet, the pair came close to a win in their doubles match against Hamilton, he said.
Sophomore Zack Morrison had the number 3 singles spot against Polson, and Hamilton, coming away with a win both times. His Polson match was the boys’ only win against Polson.
Zack “stepped up to number 3 singles and won a long, hard battle,” Oedewaldt said.
Oedewaldt said that the Lady Loggers also performed well.
Seniors Jessika Jones and Marissa Wood switched to singles play, swapping between the number 1 and 2 spots against Hamilton and Polson.
Though they did not win their matches, Oedewaldt said that both, “played well for their first time at the top of the ladder.”
Junior Ciera Lucas — who made it to divisionals last season in doubles play — started off her season with decisive wins against both Polson and Hamilton in the number 3 singles spot.
In her Hamilton match, Lucas gritted through it for a win.
“Ciera had a very good battle and almost every point was a long rally,” Oedewaldt said. “She made up her mind that she was not going to lose.”
Playing number 4 singles against Polson, sophomore Starlyn Mayberry had a good win, and joined fellow sophomore Annika Thorstenson for a three-set win against Hamilton at number 2 doubles.
Sophomores Ivy Pierce and Jessica Cunningham had number 1 doubles against both Hamilton and Polson, facing particularly tough opponents with Polson.
“They played well, but the Polson girls had much more experience,” Oedewaldt said.
Also against Polson, freshmen Anna-Marie Kebschull and Gabby Hibpshman came close to a win in their first match ever, Oedewaldt said.
Thorstenson paired with sophomore Laneigha Zeiler for number 2 doubles against Polson, playing to three sets and coming close to a win, he said.
Friday, March 22
Boys
Libby 3, Hamilton 1
Singles
No. 1 Ryker McElmurry, L, def. Bodie Hanson, H, 6-1, 6-4
No. 2 Cayman Lee, L, def. Charlie Passey, H, 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 Zack Morrison, L, def. Drew Lehtola, H, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 Kyle Guisinger and Cooper Gurney, H, def. Tyler Serna and Ryan Collins, L, 6-4, 6-4
Polson 6, Libby 1
Singles
No. 1 Joe McDonald, P, def. Ryker McElmurry, L, 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 Kendal Forman-Webster, P, def. Cayman Lee, L, 6-2, 6-0
No. 3 Zack Morrison, L, def. Makauly Morrison, P, 7-6(9), 7-6(8)
No. 4 Ryan Doss, P, def. Tyler Serna, L, 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 Bridger Wenzel, P, def. Ryan Collins, L, 6-1, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 Anton Lefthand and Trevor Schultz, P, def. Ryker McElmurry and Cayman Lee, L, 7-6(5), 6-4
No. 2 Michael Smith and Matt Hobbs, P, def. Tyler Serna and Ryan Collins, L, 6-3, 6-3
Girls
Hamilton 4, Libby 3
Singles
No. 1 Holly Mahon, H, def. Jessika Jones, L, 6-3,6-1
No. 2 Elian Foss, H, def. Marissa Wood, L, 6-3, 6-0
No. 3 Ciera Lucas, L, def. Grace Kemp, H, 2-6, 6-4, 10-7
No. 4 Laneigha Zeiler, L, def. Savanah Gurney, H, 8-6
Doubles
No. 1 Lauren Kinmsey and Savanah Gurney, H, def. Ivy Pierce and Jessica Cunningham, L, 7-5, 6-4
No. 2 Annika Thorstenson and Starlyn Mayberry, L, def. Pauline ellenwald and Gracie Hawks, H, 6-2, 3-6, 10-4
No. 3 Pauline Ellenwald and Gracie Hawks, H, def. Anna-Marie Kebschull and Gabby Hibpshman, L, 5-3
Polson 5, Libby 2
Singles
No. 1 Shea McGuinness, P, def. Marissa Wood, L, 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 Berkley Ellis, P, def. Jessika Jones, L, 6-4, 6-0
No. 3 Ciera Lucas, L, def. Sierra Lundeen, P, 6-2, 6-0
No. 4 Starlyn Mayberry, L, def. Arah Eggebrecht, P, 6-4, 6-0
Doubles
No. 1 Qui Harlan and Megan Rost, P, def. Ivy Pierce and Jessica Cunningham, L, 6-0, 6-2
No. 2 Aria Mercer and Sarah Kinzle, P, def. Annika Thorstenson and Laneigha Zeiler, L, 4-6, 6-1, 10-5
No. 3 Zenash Groves and unknown def. Anna-Marie Kebschull and Gabby Hibpshman, L, 4-6, 6-4, 10-2