MADISON — Monroe’s No. 1 doubles tandem of Grace Tostrud and Jensen Christensen (16-10) lost in the opening round of the state tournament Oct. 11, ending their season.

“It was an early exit for our (No. 1) doubles team, but we are still excited and thankful for the experience,” Monroe coach Matt Bordner said. “You can’t take it for granted playing on this big stage, and I know Grace and Jensen really soaked up all of the little moments. Unfortunately, we didn’t play up to our potential.”

The Cheesemakers top duo fell to Madison Edgewood’s Kinsey Kessel and Lizzie Drake (15-10) 6-2, 6-1. Kessel and Drake would win their next match but fall back-to-back and miss placement.

“These two have seen Edgewood’s pair before, and it was a much closer match,” Bordner said. “I came in with a lot of confidence in our girls, and I think they were confident too. Edgewood didn’t overpower us by any means, we just had way too many unforced errors and Edgewood did a better job of keeping balls in play.”

Tostrud and Christensen, both juniors, used the first weeks of the season to get accustomed to playing together. Once their play on the court began to gel, the pair saw loads of returns, which included a third-place finish at the conference meet Sept. 22.

“For Jensen and Grace, having a match like this at state is a huge learning experience. I think it’s one they will remember and will help fuel their offseason training as well,” Bordner said. “We’re all excited we’ve got these two coming back next year and can pick up where we left off.”