BEMIDJI – The Bemidji High حلحلآ» tennis team is already 5-0 less than a week into the season. However, perhaps the most exciting aspect this early on isn’t the goose egg in the loss column. It’s the continued growth of a younger team.
“We’re seeing some really good things, we’re seeing some really good potential in the team,†head coach Kyle Fodness said. “The big thing for us is to not view 5-0 as any sort of momentum. It’s to view â€کwe’re getting better’ as the momentum piece.â€
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The Lumberjacks swept their home triangular against Alexandria and Thief River Falls 4-3 and 5-3, respectively, on Wednesday at the BHS tennis courts, flexing the development of its players throughout the lineup.
“We had a really young team last year,†Elena Peterson said. “It’s been really fun to watch everybody step into new spots on the court and really step up for the team.â€
Last year’s team was quite young, featuring a trio of freshmen – Bailey Rupp, Liz Peterson and Lilly Caron – who regularly found themselves in the varsity lineup. Heading into their sophomore seasons, those three are set to play important roles across the lineup.
On Monday, Liz Peterson went 2-0 as Bemidji’s No. 2 singles player, Rupp went 1-1 in the No. 3 spot and Caron won two games in No. 1 doubles alongside Megan Berg.
“The really great thing is Liz, Bailey and Lilly have really done a great job at embodying the (team’s) good culture and good traditions,†Fodness said. “They’re all good motors on the court. They form a little nucleus of energy out on the courts, and that energy is all positive energy. It’s shared with their teammates, and that’s what makes them special as a trio.â€
The team isn’t just made up of young guns, though. Liz’s sister and team captain, Elena, is a senior and key piece both on and off the courts.
“Elena is a great, great leader,†Fondness said. “She’s been at the program a long time and leads both by example and her voice. She never takes more away from the team, positive energy wise, than she puts into the team. And I think that’s what you want out of a leader, and that's a good example for the rest of the crew.â€
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Slotted into the No. 1 singles spot against both Alexandria and Thief River Falls, Elena went 1-1 on the day.
With the season still so young, the Jacks are still trying to get an idea of what their set lineups will look like. They have tried a few different combinations at doubles and slotted players into a variety of spots at singles, testing what roles each one is best suited for.
“You can see everyone getting more comfortable and with new partners,†Elena said. “There's been a lot of new combinations people have been doing to try and figure out our set lineups, so (it’s) been really nice to see people stepping into different spots.â€
However, that versatility has worked out in Bemidji’s favor so far, and could prove to be a strength of the team moving forward.
“You always want to build that versatility and really see what you have,†Fondness said. “Some years, you’re a little limited with that, but I think this year we have a lot of players who are very, very coachable.
Fodness also noted the players are good at coaching themselves.
“They can make adjustments out on the court,†he continued. “If I point something out, they can really adjust on the fly. And if you can do that, you can play singles, doubles – you can pretty much play any position in the lineup. I think what we’ve been really trying to find this year, more than some years, is different lineups that can counter different strengths of different teams.â€
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Bemidji 4, Alexandria 3
Singles
No. 1: E. Peterson (BHS) def. A. Stevenson 6-2, 6-1
No. 2: L. Peterson (BHS) def. Whaley 6-3, 6-0
No. 3: K. Stevenson (AHS) def. Rupp 6-4, 6-4
No. 4: Kriel (AHS) def. McNallan 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
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No. 1: Caron/Berg (BHS) def. Lueck/Simon 7-5, 6-0
No. 2: Wood/McKeon (BHS) def. Thiery/Witte 6-4, 6-0
No. 3: Stark/Ettand (AHS) def. Av. Myhre/Ab. Myhre 6-2, 6-1
Bemidji 5, Thief River Falls 2
Singles
No. 1: Wienen (TRF) def. E. Peterson 6-3, 6-4
No. 2: L. Peterson (BHS) def. Green 6-4, 6-2
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No. 3: Rupp (BHS) def. J. Lundsetter 6-2, 6-1
No. 4: Drey (TRF) def. McNallan 7-6, 3-6, 10-7
Doubles
No. 1: Caron/Berg (BHS) def. A. Lunddsetter.Kruse 6-2, 6-4
No. 2: Wood/McKeon (BHS) def. Rodahl/Schuster 6-1, 6-4
No. 3: Av. Myhre/Knott (BHS) def. Dahlin/Walseth 6-0, 6-0
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