WHITEWATER — Freshman Ryann Dahlman and the rest of the Monroe tennis team ended their seasons on a high note at the Rock Valley Conference tournament on Thursday, Sept. 28. 

Dahlman finished as the No. 4 singles runner-up to Hannah Feyen of East Troy, while the Cheesemakers likely finished fourth, according to Monroe head coach Matt Bordner. At press time, team results had not yet been calculated. 

“Across the lineup, everyone was playing their best tennis today, which is exactly what you want as a coach late in the season,” Bordner said. “Final conference standings won’t be tallied until tomorrow [Friday, Sept. 29], but I think we will stay at fourth of seven.”

While Bordner was pleased with his team’s efforts, he had hoped for a stronger start. Aside from Dahlman’s first-round bye, Monroe won just one other opening match — Kate Kundert at No. 2 singles.

“We needed to win more first-round matches and dropped some tight ones,” Bordner said. “But I loved the way we handled some adversity and stayed persistent after losing some first-round matches.”

Of the five first-round losses, four of those individuals or duos rebounded to win the next match.  

Monroe anxiously anticipates seeding for the subsectional, which will occur on Monday, Oct. 2 in Stoughton. Seeds for the subsection will be determined on Sunday, Oct. 1, following a seeding meeting. The Cheesemakers participate in the Division 1 Sectional 5, subsection A with Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Madison La Follette, McFarland, Monona Grove, Oregon, Stoughton and Verona.

The top four No. 1 singles players and No. 1 doubles partners advance to the sectional, while the top two No. 2-4 singles players and No. 2-3 doubles partners advance. Stoughton will host the sectional on Wednesday, Oct. 4. The individual state tournament will take place Oct. 12-14 at the Nielsen Stadium in Madison.