March 28, 2024

Cardinal girls knock off LHC favorite Tigers

GRINNELL — Monica Corso’s play had a hand in giving Newton’s Cardinal girls a 6-5 win on the road in Little Hawkeye Conference tennis Tuesday.

Corso captured a three-set in over Grinnell’s Hope Bush in No. 4 singles to even up the team score, 3-3, heading into the doubles competition. Corso and Bush moved into the No. 2 doubles match for their respective teams.

And what happened? Another critical third-set tiebreaker with the meet tied at 5-5 in matches. Corso and Maria Valbuena, who had won at No. 1 singles for the Cardinals, combined to win 6-3, 3-6, 10-6, over Bush and Kiara Peterson.

“This was the final match. The No. 1 doubles match finished right as No. 2 doubles lost their second set, making the meet tied at 5-5, with the final match to be decided in a third-set tiebreaker,” said Newton head coach Erick Zehr.

“Our girls got out to an early lead, but some errors found them down 5-6. Monica served the next two, both of which Maria finished strongly at the net. Grinnell’s next two serves found a winner by Maria and an error by Petersen. Maria then served for the match, as Grinnell’s return came up short. At 5-6, we won five straight points to seal the match and the meet.”

Grinnell was the preseason favorite to the win the conference title. The Cardinals went on the road and pulled off an “upset” of the Tigers.

“I can’t say enough about the effort our girls put forth today,” Zehr said. “Several people were playing in new situations, and they fought through their nerves to help contribute to this big win. Now, we turn our focus towards Oskaloosa. We are one big step closer to our goal of a conference championship, but it is only one step — we need to follow through with the rest to reach our goal.”

Newton’s at home Thursday against Osklaloosa in LHC play. Matches begin at 4:15 p.m. at Aurora Heights Park’s tennis courts.

Monica Corso fought through two tough points in her No. 4 singles match with Bush to win the tiebreaker. She won the match 4-6, 6-2, 11-9. Zehr said Bush is the best No. 4 singles player in the conference “so Monica had her hands full from the beginnings. Even after losing the first set close, she stayed after it and pulled out the next two.”

Valburena pushed past Grinnell’s Lily Hamliton, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 1 singles, and Newton’s Jennifer Ventling posted a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 win over Jackie Johnson at No. 2 singles. Grinnell’s Peterson defeated Holly Vander Pol, 7-6 (7-0), 6-0, in the No. 3 singles match.

Maddie Krumm of Grinnell took the No. 5 singles match, 6-2, 7-5, over McKenna Heisdorffer. Kayla Corso gave Newton a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles over Amaris Bates.

In No. 1 doubles, Hamilton and Johnson beat Newton’s Ventling and Vander Pol, 7-5, 6-4. The Cardinals’ Heisdorffer and Kayla Corso dropped a three-set match — 4-6, 6-1, 8-10 — in No. 3 doubles to Bates and Kylie Kelling.

Sierra Griffith and Marisa Modlin lost to Grinnell’s Krumm and Beth Mitchell, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 4 doubles. Newton’s No. 5 doubles team of Halie Owen and Megan Pressgrove posted a 2-6, 6-1, 10-6 win over Emma Harts and Anneliese Wiltfang in No. 5 doubles.