PELLA — Newton High’s Katherine Thorpe and Elizabeth Myers were locked in an intense doubles match against Pella Christian’s Sophie Vander Molen and Maria Bandstra. It came down to this doubles match to decide Thursday’s Little Hawkeye Conference tennis dual.
Through six singles matches, the Cardinals and host Eagles were tied 3-3. Four of the five doubles matches were finished and each team had won two of those. Newton and Pella Christian were locked in a close competition, 5-5, with one match remaining on the courts.
Thorpe and Myers had dropped the first set, 6-2, to Vander Molen and Bandstra. They rallied to win the second set 6-1. The match went to a third-set tiebreaker. That was even close.
Newton’s duo came up with a 10-8 win to claim the match. With that win, Newton defeated Pella Christian, 6-5, in the LHC dual. Most matches were close throughout the competition.
The Cardinals got singles wins at No. 1, No. 4 and No. 5 Thursday. McKenna Heisdorffer claimed a 6-3, 6-1, 1 (10) victory over Pella Christian’s Andrea De Bruin at No. 1 singles.
Kate Wyre delivered a 6-2, 7-6 (1) win for Newton at No. 4 against Abbie Vander Molen. In the No. 5 singles match, Marisa Modlin won 6-3, 6-3 against Tristen Meinders.
Pella Christian’s Rachel Tvedt beat Newton’s Megan Pressgrove, 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. The Eagles’ Andrea Carballo rallied past Newton’s Sierra Griffith, 4-6, 6-0, 8(0) for the win at No. 3 singles.
Thorpe dropped a 7-5, 6-2 decision to Pella Christian’s Holly Milby at No. 6 singles.
Newton’s Wyre combined with Madison Humphrey to notch a 6-4, 6-3 win over Meinders and Milby in the No. 3 doubles slot. Jordyn Soule and Brenda Becerra came from behind to defeat Pella Christian’s Annie Matherly and Rayla Wilson, 2-6, 6-3 10-3 at No. 5 doubles.
Pella Christian got a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles by De Bruin and Tvedt against Heisdorffer and Pressgrove. The Eagles’ Abbie Vander Molen and Carballa defeated Newton’s Griffith and Modlin, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 2 doubles.
Newton is 2-0 in duals this season and 1-0 in conference dual action. The Cardinals travel to Grinnell Monday for an LHC dual.
In junior varsity doubles matches Thursday:
Newton’s Morgan Modlin and Haley Walton beat Jinjin and Williams 6-3; Newton’s Arianna Jamieson and Natalie Camp won 7-5 over Bush and De Bruin; Newton’s Bethany Baumgartner and Maddie Gooding-Hunt beat Van Sant and Krizan 6-1.
Pella Christian’s Van Der Pol and Meinders beat Jamieson and Camp 7-5; Pella Christian’s Van Kooten and Van Soelen beat Baumgartner and Gooding-Hunt 6-1; Pella Christian’s Williams and De Bruin beat Stacie Sanger and Isabella Leach 6-4; Pella Christian’s Rezaie and Huang defeated GiGi Chen and Rylie Bakalar 6-2; Pella Christian’s Van Woerkern and Tang beat Hayley Sinclair and Echo Downs 6-0.
Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com