MONROE - Monroe High School girls tennis coach Brad Saugstad juggled his lineup Saturday for the Monroe Doubles Invitational, and a player returned from injury to spark a third-place finish for the Cheesemakers.
The Cheesemakers entered the doubles invite with just a 1-17 mark in doubles matches this year. However, Monroe turned it around and went 10-5 Saturday. Kenosha Bradford won the tournament with 25 points. With 19 points, Baraboo just edged Monroe, which scored 18 points, for second.
"I have to give the girls a lot of credit," Saugstad said. "We looked like a different team playing doubles. I'm so proud of the improvements I've seen in the last six days in how we play doubles. To win 67 percent of our doubles matches was a really good accomplishment."
Monroe sophomore Hallie Signer, who played No. 2 doubles with sophomore Maggie Setterstrom, returned from a finger injury and illness to play her first matches this season.
The Cheesemakers' No. 3 doubles team of sophomore Ashley Placek and sophomore Skye Allen won the title going 3-0 Saturday. Placek and Allen defeated Delavan-Darien's Cassidy Dodge and Alicia Manfredini 6-0, 6-0 and cruised past Freeport's Erin Kornfeind and Danielle Marshall 6-2, 6-0. In the championship match, Placek and Allen beat Kenosha Bradford's Brianna Smith and Erin Puhek 6-4, 7-6 (2).
Setterstrom and Signer took second place at No. 2 doubles.
Eva Priewe and Katie Demianiuk at 1A doubles finished the tournament 2-1 and took third place. Priewe and Demianiuk beat Lake Mills' Isabel Lackey and Kiley Eck 6-1, 6-1. Kenosha Bradford's Gianna Apostoli and Brittany Jeanmaire defeated the Cheesemakers' senior duo 6-4, 6-4. Priewe and Demianiuk bounced back to knock off Delavan-Darien's Britney Bruhn and her teammate 6-1, 6-0.
"Eva and Katie's semifinal against Kenosha Bradford was probably the best match of the tournament," Saugstad said. "It was a hard-hitting battle that Kenosha Bradford prevailed. I hope the extra practice at the net will pay off for Eva and Katie."
After playing three tournaments in the first week at No. 1 doubles, Saugstad is moving Demianiuk back to singles where she is expected to play at No. 2 behind Priewe. He will use the sophomore duo of Setterstrom and Signer at No. 1 doubles at least for the next two matches before they have a playoff for the top doubles spot.
"We wanted to try her (Demianiuk) at doubles to give her the best chance to get to state," Saugstad said. "Katie feels more comfortable playing singles so we moved her back to singles. Her experience in doubles has made her net game stronger. I'm hoping that will carry over so that way she can add that element to her singles game."
Playing two sophomores at No. 1 doubles at least for the next two matches will be a challenge.
"Putting them (Setterstrom and Signer) together my hope is that they grow into that spot and learn from it," Saugstad said of No. 1 doubles.
Monroe senior Maija Liimatainen and Morgan Quinn also went 2-1 at No. 4 doubles in the tournament to claim third place. Liimatainen and Morgan Quinn beat Lake Mills' Ashli Patrick and her teammate 6-0, 6-2. Baraboo's Hannah Braun and Kaylee Mueller beat them 6-2, 6-2. Liimatainen and Quinn answered by beating a Delavan-Darien duo 6-2, 6-1.
At No. 1 doubles, Monroe's senior Hannah Zweifel and senior Shannon Rabotski went 1-2 in the tournament and finished fourth. Zweifel and Rabotski defeated a Delavan-Darien team 6-1, 6-0. The senior duo lost matches to Baraboo 6-4, 6-2 and Lake Mills 6-2, 6-4.
"To get so many wins and finish third place in this tournament was a huge confidence boost for our team, and seeing how much we have improved is very encouraging for the rest of the season," Saugstad said.
The Cheesemakers entered the doubles invite with just a 1-17 mark in doubles matches this year. However, Monroe turned it around and went 10-5 Saturday. Kenosha Bradford won the tournament with 25 points. With 19 points, Baraboo just edged Monroe, which scored 18 points, for second.
"I have to give the girls a lot of credit," Saugstad said. "We looked like a different team playing doubles. I'm so proud of the improvements I've seen in the last six days in how we play doubles. To win 67 percent of our doubles matches was a really good accomplishment."
Monroe sophomore Hallie Signer, who played No. 2 doubles with sophomore Maggie Setterstrom, returned from a finger injury and illness to play her first matches this season.
The Cheesemakers' No. 3 doubles team of sophomore Ashley Placek and sophomore Skye Allen won the title going 3-0 Saturday. Placek and Allen defeated Delavan-Darien's Cassidy Dodge and Alicia Manfredini 6-0, 6-0 and cruised past Freeport's Erin Kornfeind and Danielle Marshall 6-2, 6-0. In the championship match, Placek and Allen beat Kenosha Bradford's Brianna Smith and Erin Puhek 6-4, 7-6 (2).
Setterstrom and Signer took second place at No. 2 doubles.
Eva Priewe and Katie Demianiuk at 1A doubles finished the tournament 2-1 and took third place. Priewe and Demianiuk beat Lake Mills' Isabel Lackey and Kiley Eck 6-1, 6-1. Kenosha Bradford's Gianna Apostoli and Brittany Jeanmaire defeated the Cheesemakers' senior duo 6-4, 6-4. Priewe and Demianiuk bounced back to knock off Delavan-Darien's Britney Bruhn and her teammate 6-1, 6-0.
"Eva and Katie's semifinal against Kenosha Bradford was probably the best match of the tournament," Saugstad said. "It was a hard-hitting battle that Kenosha Bradford prevailed. I hope the extra practice at the net will pay off for Eva and Katie."
After playing three tournaments in the first week at No. 1 doubles, Saugstad is moving Demianiuk back to singles where she is expected to play at No. 2 behind Priewe. He will use the sophomore duo of Setterstrom and Signer at No. 1 doubles at least for the next two matches before they have a playoff for the top doubles spot.
"We wanted to try her (Demianiuk) at doubles to give her the best chance to get to state," Saugstad said. "Katie feels more comfortable playing singles so we moved her back to singles. Her experience in doubles has made her net game stronger. I'm hoping that will carry over so that way she can add that element to her singles game."
Playing two sophomores at No. 1 doubles at least for the next two matches will be a challenge.
"Putting them (Setterstrom and Signer) together my hope is that they grow into that spot and learn from it," Saugstad said of No. 1 doubles.
Monroe senior Maija Liimatainen and Morgan Quinn also went 2-1 at No. 4 doubles in the tournament to claim third place. Liimatainen and Morgan Quinn beat Lake Mills' Ashli Patrick and her teammate 6-0, 6-2. Baraboo's Hannah Braun and Kaylee Mueller beat them 6-2, 6-2. Liimatainen and Quinn answered by beating a Delavan-Darien duo 6-2, 6-1.
At No. 1 doubles, Monroe's senior Hannah Zweifel and senior Shannon Rabotski went 1-2 in the tournament and finished fourth. Zweifel and Rabotski defeated a Delavan-Darien team 6-1, 6-0. The senior duo lost matches to Baraboo 6-4, 6-2 and Lake Mills 6-2, 6-4.
"To get so many wins and finish third place in this tournament was a huge confidence boost for our team, and seeing how much we have improved is very encouraging for the rest of the season," Saugstad said.
