Packers fall to New Prague
Published 11:16 pm Monday, September 24, 2012
There were five seniors playing in their last home match for the Austin girls tennis team, but only two of them got to finish off the home schedule with a win at Paulson Courts Monday.
Karyn Potach won her No. 2 singles match and Grace Gravelle won her No. 3 doubles match with partner Abbey Ball as the Packers lost 4-3 to New Prague.
Potach prevailed by scores of 6-4, 6-4 as she used a series of back-handed attacks to wear down New Prague’s Sami Bisek.
“I was just being patient and letting her figure it out. It kind of comes down to conditioning, especially if you get to a third set,” Potach said.
The Packers (2-7 overall) have had a young team throughout the year and Austin sophomore Alicia Sforza won two straight sets to get a three-set win by scores of 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 in the No. 1 singles match.
Potach has embraced being a leader this season for Austin.
“We brought a lot of girls up to varsity this year, so hopefully they’ll be better next year,” Potach said. “It’s fun and it’s kind of nice being one of the older players.”
The Packers will close out the regular season Tuesday in Owatonna at 4:30 p.m. and they will compete in the Big Nine meet in Rochester at 9 a.m.
The Section 1A team meet will begin Oct. 2.
“I’m excited for the Big Nine meet, but I don’t know how well we’ll do,” Potach said.
Singles
No. 1 Alicia Sforza (A) def. Deven Fennern (N) 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
No. 2 Karyn Potach (A) def. Sami Bisek (N) 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 Audrey Maday (N) def. Nicole Hose (A) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
No. 4 Jirina Flicek (N) def. Maggie Leif (A) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 Anna Johnson and Nicole McQueen (N) def. Christine Barinka and Emily Johannsen (A), 6-0, 6-1
No. 2 Jill Malecha and Danni Barr (N) def. Emma Nelson and Jenna Anderson (A) 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Grace Gravelle and Abbey Ball (A) def. Kenzie Schmitz and Lilly Lezac (N) 6-2, 6-3