Thursday, March 28, 2024

Cascade tennis team opens league play

Posted

It was a busy week for the Cascade Tennis team with matches against Chelan, Connell and Okanogan. On March 28, the Kodiaks opened the league schedule at Chelan. The girls were missing top players Taylor Kelly and Brooke McDevitt. 

It factored in heavily as the girls lost 4-1. The lone win came from the number one doubles team of 

Katie Schiefelbein and Dorothy Espinosa. 

“Dorothy Espinosa filled in greatly during Brooke’s absence and the duo beat Chelan’s number 1 doubles team 6-0, 6-0. Another notable performance was by Freshman Kolby Hunt who played number 3 singles,” said Joey Johanson, Cascade head coach. 

Hunt played some amazing shots, Johanson said, even though she lost 6-1, 6-1. 

“She has no ceiling when it comes to her potential. She ultimately lost, but that does not indicate the amount of improvement and hard work she has put in,” Johanson said. 

Number 2 doubles, Carmen Herrera/Maritsa Guerrero, lost 6-4, 1-6, 0-6. Number one singles, Alexandra Barragan, lost 0-6, 0-6 and number 2 singles, Marie Dickinson, lost 0-6, 0-6. 

The boys also lost 4-1. 

“The number 1 and 2 doubles teams went up against some tough competition, but overall I was happy with their improvement because the Chelan boys have very strong doubles teams,” Johanson said. “Emman Espinosa (#1 doubles) continues to get better everyday and is the definition of a hard working athlete. I give him tips or adjustments and soaks in like a sponge and practices changing his game.”

Finn Johnson had a tough match at number one singles, but once he gets his serve going, Johanson feels he will be a tough competitor in the CTL. 

The number 2 and 3 singles matches were both very close. The lone win for the boys was Sam Keziah at number 2 as he won 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. 

“He had some amazing shots that Chelan couldn’t even put a racket on and his serve continues to improve in accuracy and velocity,” he said. “Hans Schlyer had a great match at number 3 singles. He went into a tiebreaker in his first set, but lost. After that he lost his momentum, but still kept it close in the second set. Hans is another freshman who will be an essential part of the tennis program for Cascade in the next four years,” 

Johanson said, overall, he’s very pleased with the program’s improvement. 

“As I watched each match, I noticed athletes making adjustments to get better. They stayed positive and focused more on improvement rather than a win or a loss. This year has been tough with the lack of facilities, but the kids who are playing are in it for the long haul and committed to building a successful tennis program at Cascade,” he said. 

Cascade played at Connell on March 31. Results were not available. Last Saturday, Cascade played at Okanogan. The boys and girls both lost 3-2. No matches for the Kodiaks over spring break. The team will be back in action on April 11 at Cashmere. 

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here