ELKHORN — The Cheesemakers dropped its first girls tennis match of the alternate fall season March 19 to Milton, 5-2.

“Going in, we really weren’t sure what to expect as we have so many players new to the varsity level and trying to make that next jump in their game,” coach Matt Bordner said. “Overall, I’m really proud of our effort and saw some good things. We have a huge focus on growth this season and for our younger players to gain this experience will be really great for the program long-term.”

Kylie Miller held her own in the No. 1 singles match, but lost to Milton’s Natalie Niemeyer 6-4, 6-3.

“This was a relatively new environment for her, as she played almost exclusively at 2-doubles last year. I was really impressed by how she played,” Bordner said of Miller. “She and her opponent had really long rallies, and Kylie was able to utilize some of her strengths to hang around in both sets. I think as she plays more singles, she will only get better as a tennis player which will open up some options for her senior year on where she could play.”

At No. 2 singles, Cecily Burch had a nice first set, Bordner said, but couldn’t find much of a groove in the second. She lost to Milton’s Emily McNett 6-3, 6-2.

“Her opponent had a pretty untraditional serve, and I think just adjusting to that was difficult. Cecily has made some really nice strides from last season though, and to see her play a competitive match at 2-singles was really exciting,” Bordner said.

Monroe’s Allison Wunschel lost the No. 3 singles match 6-3, 6-3, while Alicia Brunton fell at No. 4 singles, 6-0, 6-1.

“Allison and Alicia both had their first taste of varsity experience. Their opponents were just more consistent and came in with more experience which is hard to replace. I think for both Allison and Alicia, taking the time to learn and grow from each match will be key,” Bordner said.

At No. 1 doubles, sisters Melena and Bella Brunton lost 6-4, 6-1.

“Sibling doubles partners can sometimes work out pretty well, just because they are used to communicating and not afraid to share thoughts with each other,” Bordner said. “We had talked about this pairing for a bit, and decided to try it out for our first match to see how it went. That first set they had was really impressive, especially because their opponents had much more varsity experience and more refined strokes. Melena and Bella both just do such a good job of keeping it in play, and so as they start to develop, I think they really could see some success together in doubles.”

Monroe’s two match wins came at No. 2 and 3 doubles. Bre Giasson and Sydney Conway paired up at No. 2 doubles for a 6-2, 7-5 victory, while Maddy Wels and Morgan Johnson won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3 doubles.

“Bre and Sydney came in to our No. 2 spot and brought a lot of energy and have the ability to win a lot of points playing aggressive at the net. Morgan and Maddy played a really patient match at No. 3 doubles and did a good job of limiting their unforced errors,” Bordner said.

Monroe’s next dual is slated for March 26 against Oregon in Elkhorn.