USC continues to roll, improves to 3-0

Staff

Published Tuesday, August 30, 2005

By Jeff Budlong, Tribune Sports Editor

WELLS - The United South Central girls' tennis team continued its strong start to the season winning the New Prague Tournament this past Saturday, and followed that up with a 5-2 victory over Owatonna, Monday.

The Rebels held off Minnetonka by two points to win at New Prague, while the host school finished third.

USC won the tournament in large part to a dominating performance by their doubles teams which finished as champs in two of the three matches.

The Rebels' top team of Marie Halvorson and Kim Staloch had a battle in the semifinals dropping a marathon first set 7-6 (13-11).

They bounced back to win the second set 6-1 but lost the deciding set 10-7 before coming back to take third place.

Ashley Wermedal and Kallie Rollenhagen breezed through the first two rounds before going three sets to win the title at No. 2 doubles.

Tiffany Adams and Andrea Allis would conclude doubles play with a 6-0, 6-4 win in the finals of No. 3 doubles.

In singles action, Kate Ostrowski dropped her first match, but bounced back with consecutive wins to take the consolation championship.

She downed Jes Johnson of Roseau 6-2, 6-2 and Glencoe's Meg Birkholtz 6-0, 6-0.

Cassie Wood opened her day at No. 2 singles with a dominating win over Anna Witti of New Prague 6-0, 6-0 before suffering her first loss in two years when Alyssa Wachter of New London- Spicer downed her in straight sets 6-4, 6-2

However, Wood recovered

to take third with a convincing win 6-1, 6-1.

Jill Stenzel won three consecutive matches at No. 3 to take the championship.

She beat Kelsey Steupica of New Prague 6-3, 6-3 in the finals to complete her strong day.

Jessica Stensrud rounded out singles play finishing fourth at No. 4.

Against Owatonna, the Rebels dropped the first two matches of the day in singles play but would not lose again en route to victory.

Both Ostrowski and Leland lost in straight sets, but Wood and Stenzel would even things up going into doubles play with two convincing wins at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.

"Rebecca fought the longest playing a great two set match at second singles," said USC head coach Randy Halvorson.

"She lost but played her best tennis of the year."

The doubles teams of Halvorson and Staloch as well as Adams and Amanda Redman won by identical scores of 6-2, 6-1, while Wermedal and Rollenhagen downed their opponents 6-2, 6-4.

"First doubles had a solid performance serving from Marie and great net work by Kim," said Halvorson.

"The second doubles team fell behind in the second set 4-3, but battled back to win in straight sets."

The Rebels are back in action Thursday at Fairmont.

Saturday

New Prague Tournament

TEAM STANDINGS - 1. USC 30, 2. Minnetonka 28, 3. New Prague 27.5, 4. NLS 24, 5. Glenco 16, Faribault 12, Roseau 8.

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