Season preview: Jaguars girls tennis returns eight of 10 starters

Amber Meyer is one of two seniors who will lead the Jaguars girls tennis program on the courts this fall.

The B-B-E Jaguars girls tennis team's 2010 season has begun, after their home triangular last Friday in which they split two matches against Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Upsala-Swanville Area and Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd. The team's outlook is bright for this season, as they return eight starters from last year's playoff team. Lost to graduation were two-time Sub-Section 5A-West semi-finalists Laura Johnson and Tia Braegelman, who made it to the sub-section Final Four both their junior and senior seasons.

Entering her fourth year as head coach of the Jaguars girls tennis team, head coach Katy Westrom begins her second season with the assistance of J.V. coach Colleen (Radermacher) Borgerding, a 2005 graduate of B-B-E who was also a standout girls tennis player for the Jaguars during her prep career.

The Jaguars have two experienced seniors on the roster, Amber Meyer and Amy Knutson. Seven juniors comprise the heart of the varsity lineup, including Erin Anderson, Kelly Reller, Kelsey Loch, Michelle Sanders, Myranda Zarbok, Nicole Dokken, and Sara Welte. The Jaguars have one lone sophomore, Jordan Gruendemann. Freshmen on the squad are Daisha Meyer, Mattea Eckstein, and McKenzie Winter. Rounding out the lineup is eighth grader Morgan Pastian.

• B-B-E 4, LP-GE/USA 3

On Friday the Jaguars had a strong showing against a very good LP-GE/USA team, who finished 12-11 last year and lost only two seniors to graduation. They are led by state entrant Kimmie Mrozek, a junior who made it to the second round of the Class A state tournament in 2009. The Jaguars were able to pull out the close with two third set tiebreaker wins at number two and three doubles.

No. 1 singles - Amber Meyer (L) 6-1, 6-0. No. 2 singles - Michelle Sanders (L) 6-2, 6-3. No. 3 singles - Daisha Meyer (W) 6-3, 6-2. No. 4 singles - Myranda Zarbok (W) 6-1, 6-2.

No. 1 doubles - Kelly Reller/Amy Knutson (L) 7-5, 7-5. No. 2 doubles - Mattea Eckstein/Nicole Dokken (W) 6-4, 4-6, 7-3. No. 3 doubles - Jordan Gruendemann/Mackenzie Winter (W) 5-7, 7-5, 7-5.

• LQPV/D-B 6, B-B-E 1

The number-two doubles combination of Mattea Eckstein and Nicole Dokken picked up the lone point for the Jaguars against Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd, winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-4. The number one doubles team of Amy Knutson and Kelly Reller battled through a second set tiebreaker and a third set super tiebreaker, losing 2-6, 7-6 (10-8), 10-8.

The Jaguars travel to the Minnewaska Quadrangular on Thursday, August 26, where Parkers Prairie and Montevideo will also be participating. The following day they are at Morris Area for a dual meet. Next Monday the Jaguars will be at the Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg invitational.

As they have been doing since the program was established at B-B-E in 1993, the Jaguars will compete in Section 5A for post-season honors.

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