MONROE - The final home tennis match didn't go the way Monroe coach Brad Saugstad had it drawn up.
Stoughton swept all four singles matches to roll to a 6-1 win over the Cheesemakers in a dual match on Senior Night Thursday. With the loss, the Monroe drops to 10-8 overall, 1-5 Badger South.
"I looked at the comparative matches coming into this and it looked like Stoughton had a little edge," Saugstad said. "I knew it would be close. We are still having a strong season. We have probably won more dual matches this year (10) than the last three years combined."
Stoughton's Lydia Brekken, at No. 1 singles, defeated Monroe senior Maggie Setterstrom 6-2, 6-4. At No. 2 singles, the Vikings' Krissy Pohlod beat sophomore Grace Tostrud 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Stoughton sophomore Kayla Rippe beat Monroe sophomore Emma Towne 7-5, 6-2 in the No. 3 singles match. Towne had a 5-2 lead in the first set before Rippe stormed back to pull out the victory.
"One of our biggest problems tonight is we couldn't hold onto the lead," Saugstad said. "Emma was up 5-2 in the first set and our No. 2 doubles team (seniors Parris Bunker and Kira Miller) were up 4-1 in the first set. Once you get up they started looking to get to that final set and you try to be too perfect with your shots. We just have to be able to close out those sets better."
Tostrud, who dropped to 6-3 at No. 2 singles, battled through a three set match. Saugstad liked the way she started out and he commended Pohlod for making adjustments.
"In the first set, Grace came out really aggressive," Saugstad said. "She was probably the most aggressive she has been in a match this year. In the second set, her opponent hit some lobs and had some good passing shots to keep her away from the net. She countered Grace's strategy pretty well."
At No. 4 singles, the Vikings' Annika Goetz defeated Cheesemakers' senior Skye Allen 6-0, 6-1.
The lone victory for the Cheesemakers came from the No. 3 doubles team of juniors Jessa Lucas and Becky Thoman. They edged the Katie Zacharias and Paige Bellefeuille 6-2, 7-6 (2). With the win, Lucas and Thoman improve theior record to 8-7.
Stoughton seniors Stacy Benoy and Ashley Fisher, at No. 1 doubles, defeated Monroe senior Hallie Signer and sophomore Jensen Christensen 6-3, 6-0. Signer and Christensen now have a record of 12-6.
At No. 2 doubles, the Vikings' Paige Halverson and Karlie Halverson beat the Cheesemakers' Bunker and Miller 6-4, 6-1. Bunker and Miller dropped to 11-7 this season at No. 2 doubles.
Monroe plays its final regular season Badger South match at Milton Monday. The Cheesemakers then gear up for the Badger Conference tournament next weekend at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison. Monroe will play in the WIAA Division 1 Beloit Memorial subsectional Oct. 2.
"I think the match at Milton Monday is a match we should be able to win," Saugstad said. "Our subsectional is not as strong as our conference. I think we have had a strong season so far and I think we could be really good in the subsectional."
Stoughton swept all four singles matches to roll to a 6-1 win over the Cheesemakers in a dual match on Senior Night Thursday. With the loss, the Monroe drops to 10-8 overall, 1-5 Badger South.
"I looked at the comparative matches coming into this and it looked like Stoughton had a little edge," Saugstad said. "I knew it would be close. We are still having a strong season. We have probably won more dual matches this year (10) than the last three years combined."
Stoughton's Lydia Brekken, at No. 1 singles, defeated Monroe senior Maggie Setterstrom 6-2, 6-4. At No. 2 singles, the Vikings' Krissy Pohlod beat sophomore Grace Tostrud 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Stoughton sophomore Kayla Rippe beat Monroe sophomore Emma Towne 7-5, 6-2 in the No. 3 singles match. Towne had a 5-2 lead in the first set before Rippe stormed back to pull out the victory.
"One of our biggest problems tonight is we couldn't hold onto the lead," Saugstad said. "Emma was up 5-2 in the first set and our No. 2 doubles team (seniors Parris Bunker and Kira Miller) were up 4-1 in the first set. Once you get up they started looking to get to that final set and you try to be too perfect with your shots. We just have to be able to close out those sets better."
Tostrud, who dropped to 6-3 at No. 2 singles, battled through a three set match. Saugstad liked the way she started out and he commended Pohlod for making adjustments.
"In the first set, Grace came out really aggressive," Saugstad said. "She was probably the most aggressive she has been in a match this year. In the second set, her opponent hit some lobs and had some good passing shots to keep her away from the net. She countered Grace's strategy pretty well."
At No. 4 singles, the Vikings' Annika Goetz defeated Cheesemakers' senior Skye Allen 6-0, 6-1.
The lone victory for the Cheesemakers came from the No. 3 doubles team of juniors Jessa Lucas and Becky Thoman. They edged the Katie Zacharias and Paige Bellefeuille 6-2, 7-6 (2). With the win, Lucas and Thoman improve theior record to 8-7.
Stoughton seniors Stacy Benoy and Ashley Fisher, at No. 1 doubles, defeated Monroe senior Hallie Signer and sophomore Jensen Christensen 6-3, 6-0. Signer and Christensen now have a record of 12-6.
At No. 2 doubles, the Vikings' Paige Halverson and Karlie Halverson beat the Cheesemakers' Bunker and Miller 6-4, 6-1. Bunker and Miller dropped to 11-7 this season at No. 2 doubles.
Monroe plays its final regular season Badger South match at Milton Monday. The Cheesemakers then gear up for the Badger Conference tournament next weekend at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison. Monroe will play in the WIAA Division 1 Beloit Memorial subsectional Oct. 2.
"I think the match at Milton Monday is a match we should be able to win," Saugstad said. "Our subsectional is not as strong as our conference. I think we have had a strong season so far and I think we could be really good in the subsectional."
