MONROE - Junior Silas Setterstrom will make his first trip to the state tennis tournament on Thursday with aspirations of reaching the second day of the three-day tournament.
Setterstrom will get a rematch against Whitewater junior Brodie Runez in the first-round of the WIAA Division 2 state tournament Thursday at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison.
Setterstrom defeated Runez 6-2, 6-1 in the East Troy sectional last week en route to a third-place finish.
"My goal coming into this year was to make it to state," Setterstrom said. "I'm optimistic about the match. I think I got a good draw. My goal is to win the first-round match, get to the second round and see what happens."
Even though Setterstrom was confident he could make a run to state, he is well aware that many considered him an underdog.
"I knew if I played my best I could do it," he said. "It's still kind of a surprise. There are a lot of other really good players who didn't make it to state."
If Setterstrom wins his first-round match Thursday, he would face No. 2 seed Juan Perez of the Prairie School. Perez, a junior, has amassed a 25-3 mark this year and has defeated No. 1 seed Anand Saljuja (18-1), a freshman from Brookfield Academy. The top eight players at state are seeded and receive a first-round bye.
"He's on another level," Setterstrom said of Perez. "He could be the No. 1 seed. I know I probably can't win that second match."
Before Setterstrom can think about Perez, he must focus on Runez and his aggressive style of tennis.
"He has a good serve," Setterstrom said. "He comes up to the net and likes to volley. Passing him at the net may be the biggest challenge. What I want to try to do is mix in lobs and lower shots down the sidelines. His forehand is OK. His backhand is weak. I will look to pick on that more."
Monroe coach Ashley Hermanson said it's a confidence boost for Setterstrom to play Runez in the first round.
"Silas has made great strides to get to where he is now," Hermanson said. "He has put in a lot of time practicing and playing on his own. I believe he has gained more confidence in himself, which in turn has made him a better player. He is a good tennis player and knows how to read opponents and their weaknesses."
Setterstrom played No. 2 singles last year and made the jump to No. 1 singles this year. He posted a 13-11 mark at No. 2 singles last season. He put in a lot of time in the offseason perfecting his serve and becoming a stronger hitter to put shots away. He is 12-10 this season.
"I knew I would probably play No. 1 singles and I put in a lot of time practicing and playing tennis," he said. "Even if I wasn't going to be the No. 1, I still would have put in the time because I love tennis."
Hermanson has noticed an improvement in Setterstrom's mindset this season.
"Playing No. 1 singles is a physical as well as a mental challenge," Hermanson said. "Silas has worked on his endurance for long matches through conditioning as well as keeping his mind clear while he is playing. By working on both of these things he has improved his patience and focus."
He made some small changes to his serve this year and is hitting more powerful shots.
"I wait longer for the ball and then I attack and explode into the ball," he said. "I'm a lost faster and more consistent with my serve this year compared to last year."
Setterstrom is used to playing matches at Nielsen Tennis Stadium because it's the same site that hosts the Badger Conference tournament.
"I think I play better indoors," he said. "There are fewer distractions and it's easier to focus. There is no sun and wind."
Setterstrom has played two of the top eight seeds. He played Edgewood No. 1 singles player Cecil Lingard, the fifth seed, earlier this year and Edgewood No. 2 singles player Noah Colletti in a No. 2 singles match last year.
"The Badger Conference was really strong this year," Setterstrom said. "It prepared me well for what state will throw at me."
Setterstrom will get a rematch against Whitewater junior Brodie Runez in the first-round of the WIAA Division 2 state tournament Thursday at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison.
Setterstrom defeated Runez 6-2, 6-1 in the East Troy sectional last week en route to a third-place finish.
"My goal coming into this year was to make it to state," Setterstrom said. "I'm optimistic about the match. I think I got a good draw. My goal is to win the first-round match, get to the second round and see what happens."
Even though Setterstrom was confident he could make a run to state, he is well aware that many considered him an underdog.
"I knew if I played my best I could do it," he said. "It's still kind of a surprise. There are a lot of other really good players who didn't make it to state."
If Setterstrom wins his first-round match Thursday, he would face No. 2 seed Juan Perez of the Prairie School. Perez, a junior, has amassed a 25-3 mark this year and has defeated No. 1 seed Anand Saljuja (18-1), a freshman from Brookfield Academy. The top eight players at state are seeded and receive a first-round bye.
"He's on another level," Setterstrom said of Perez. "He could be the No. 1 seed. I know I probably can't win that second match."
Before Setterstrom can think about Perez, he must focus on Runez and his aggressive style of tennis.
"He has a good serve," Setterstrom said. "He comes up to the net and likes to volley. Passing him at the net may be the biggest challenge. What I want to try to do is mix in lobs and lower shots down the sidelines. His forehand is OK. His backhand is weak. I will look to pick on that more."
Monroe coach Ashley Hermanson said it's a confidence boost for Setterstrom to play Runez in the first round.
"Silas has made great strides to get to where he is now," Hermanson said. "He has put in a lot of time practicing and playing on his own. I believe he has gained more confidence in himself, which in turn has made him a better player. He is a good tennis player and knows how to read opponents and their weaknesses."
Setterstrom played No. 2 singles last year and made the jump to No. 1 singles this year. He posted a 13-11 mark at No. 2 singles last season. He put in a lot of time in the offseason perfecting his serve and becoming a stronger hitter to put shots away. He is 12-10 this season.
"I knew I would probably play No. 1 singles and I put in a lot of time practicing and playing tennis," he said. "Even if I wasn't going to be the No. 1, I still would have put in the time because I love tennis."
Hermanson has noticed an improvement in Setterstrom's mindset this season.
"Playing No. 1 singles is a physical as well as a mental challenge," Hermanson said. "Silas has worked on his endurance for long matches through conditioning as well as keeping his mind clear while he is playing. By working on both of these things he has improved his patience and focus."
He made some small changes to his serve this year and is hitting more powerful shots.
"I wait longer for the ball and then I attack and explode into the ball," he said. "I'm a lost faster and more consistent with my serve this year compared to last year."
Setterstrom is used to playing matches at Nielsen Tennis Stadium because it's the same site that hosts the Badger Conference tournament.
"I think I play better indoors," he said. "There are fewer distractions and it's easier to focus. There is no sun and wind."
Setterstrom has played two of the top eight seeds. He played Edgewood No. 1 singles player Cecil Lingard, the fifth seed, earlier this year and Edgewood No. 2 singles player Noah Colletti in a No. 2 singles match last year.
"The Badger Conference was really strong this year," Setterstrom said. "It prepared me well for what state will throw at me."
