WHITEWATER — The Cheesemakers took second place at the Rock Valley Conference tournament earlier this week, ultimately coming in behind regular season dual champion East Troy.
“It was a very competitive tournament, and Monroe ended up with five of our seven flights making it to the championship round,” coach Matt Bordner said. “Our girls battled extremely hard but we ultimately came up just short as we lost some close matches down the stretch that we needed.”
Monroe’s No. 3 doubles team of Telina Gratz and Paizley Kundert were conference champions. The pair had a first-round bye and then swept their Big Foot/Williams Bay opponents 6-0, 6-0. In the championship, Gratz and Kundert beat East Troy’s Riahlyn Cain and Elena Milne 6-1, 6-3.
At No. 1 singles, Monroe’s Ryann Dahlman strung off a pair of wins to reach the championship. She defeated her first round opponent 6-3, 6-1, and then fended off Whitewater’s Taryn Rothwell 7-6, 6-4. In the championship, Big Foot’s Annabelle Parker won 6-0, 6-0. Parker didn’t lose a game the entire tournament.
Kaya Holverson, Monroe’s No. 2 singles player, had a bye into the semifinal, where she defeated Jefferson’s Kaylee Stortz 6-2, 6-0. In the championship, East Troy’s Megan Meeks came out on top 2-6, 6-2, 12-10.
At No. 3 singles, Jade Tran won her first round matchup 6-0, 6-1, then the semifinal 6-3, 6-1. In the championship, East Troy’s Cadence Kehl’s won 6-4, 6-2.
Miah Coppes at No. 4 singles also finished in second place for the Cheesemakers. Coppes rolled through the first round 6-0, 6-0, then beat Jefferson’s Kahlan Schuyler 7-6 (9), 6-0 in the semifinal. In the championship, Kendyl Feucht of East Troy swept Coppes 6-0, 6-0. Feucht also didn’t lose a game all tournament.
Monroe’s No. 1 and 2 doubles teams both finished fourth. The top flight duo of Caedyn Blackburn and Elise McKenzie won their opener against Edgerton 7-5, 6-2. In the semifinal the pair lost to eventual champions Anna Smith and Kaydence Gould of Delavan-Darien 6-0, 6-0. In the third place match, Jefferson won in a three-set tiebreaker, 5-7, 6-3, 10-3.
At No. 2 doubles, Bralyn Liphart and Ella Mortimer won their opener against Big Foot in three sets, 6-7, 7-5, 10-8. In the semifinal, eventual champion Delavan-Darien won 6-1, 6-3. Monroe then lost to East Troy in the third place match, 7-5, 6-3.
“It was a tremendous conference season for our team. Half of our lineup had never played in the conference tournament before, as we graduated a senior heavy lineup last year, so the way this group rose to the occasion and gave themselves an opportunity to compete for a conference title was very special,” Bordner said.
Up next for the Cheesemakers is the WIAA Division 2 Subsectional at Jefferson on Monday, Oct. 5. Should anyone advance, they would play two days later on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the West Salem Sectional. The state tournament is scheduled for Oct. 15-17 at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison.
