DES MOINES — The Marshalltown girls’ tennis team was on the wrong side of all three tiebreakers in suffering a 7-4 loss to Des Moines Roosevelt in Tuesday’s Iowa Alliance Conference dual meet.
The Bobcats (7-5, 4-2) dropped a pair of three-set thrillers in doubles play and fell in the only singles match that needed a tiebreaker, too, as Roosevelt (4-2, 4-2) earned the conference victory.
“Some tough tiebreak losses at No. 5 singles and 4-5 doubles proved the difference,” said MHS head coach James Christensen. “We had a lot of trouble finishing off shots and games. That comes back to coaching, so we’ll get back to work tomorrow and be ready for Ames and Senior Night on Thursday.”
Des Moines Roosevelt took four of six singles matches, including a tightly contested showdown at No. 5. Kaelyn Coleman took the Roughriders’ Charlotte Kelderman to the edge in every game, eventually falling 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).
The Bobcats’ two singles wins came from the Nos. 3-4 positions, as Jorja Janssen dispatched Natalia Lockett 6-0, 6-0, and Lilyia Christen clocked Viviann Jacobs, 6-2, 6-1.
A 6-3, 6-2 loss to Scarlett Brown was an educational day for Marshalltown’s top singles player Kate Sandvick.
“Kate had a really tough opponent and handled it well,” Christensen said. “She hasn’t played against that level of pace yet this year and it will help get her ready for postseason.”
Janssen and Christen captured one of Marshalltown’s two doubles wins as well, winning 6-2, 7-5 over Lockett and Kelderman at No. 2. Coleman got the win she narrowly missed in singles play, teaming up with Hanna Osgood for a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Harlynn Jacobs and Viviann Jacobs at No. 3.
Marshalltown won the first sets at Nos. 4-5 doubles but couldn’t close out the wins, as Roosevelt rallied to take both matches. Grace Diggins and Taylor Bear scored a 6-2 win in the first set but fell 6-4 in the second and 14-12 in the third-set super-tiebreak. At No. 5, Trista Bratland and Ellison Wittkop won their opener 6-1, but another comeback awaited as the Roosevelt counterparts pushed back for a 6-4 win in the second and a 10-4 victory in the super-tiebreak.
Marshalltown is back in action today with a home meet against Ames at 4 p.m. at the Marshalltown Court Complex.
Des Moines Roosevelt 7, Marshalltown 4
SINGLES
Scarlett Brown (DMR) def. Kate Sandvick, 6-3, 6-2
Lillian From (DMR) def. Ellie Downs, 6-1, 6-0
Jorja Janssen (MHS) def. Natalia Lockett, 6-0, 6-0
Lilyia Christen (MHS) def. Viviann Jacobs, 6-2, 6-1
Charlotte Kelderman (DMR) def. Kaelyn Coleman, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)
Talia Bruning (DMR) def. Grace Diggins, 6-3, 6-2
DOUBLES
Brown and From (DMR) def. Sandvick and Downs, 6-2, 6-3
Janssen and Christen (MHS) def. Lockett and Kelderman, 6-2, 7-5
Coleman and Hanna Osgood (MHS) def. Harlynn Jacobs and V. Jacobs, 6-3, 6-3
Addie Scott and Adalyn Sidon (DMR) def. Diggins and Taylor Bear, 1-6, 6-4, (14-12)
Mya Cullenward and Bruning (DMR) def. Trista Bratland and Ellison Wittkop, 1-6, 6-4, (10-4)