Bobcats clip Cardinals in home opener

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON - Marshalltown senior Emily Miller makes a running forehanded strike at the ball during her singles match of the Bobcats’ 9-2 win over Newton in their home opener on Friday. Miller won her singles match over Ashley Loehr, 6-0, 6-1.

The home courts and warmer weather treated the Marshalltown girls tennis team well on Friday afternoon as it took down Newton, 9-2, in the home opener.

After getting swept by Ankeny Centennial to start the season on Monday, the Bobcats have now ripped off two-straight 9-2 wins over the Cardinals and Southeast Polk, and head coach John Fiscus said he’s impressed with the way his girls have started the year.

“The team played great again tonight, two nights in a row,” he said. “We are on a roll right now and we will keep doing it and see what happens next week.”

Marshalltown (2-1) went 5-1 in the singles matches and 4-1 in doubles.

Senior Emily Miller at No. 1 singles had a dominant night by winning 6-0, 6-1, against Ashley Loehr. After competing in the top singles spot for the last two years she said she feels much more acclimated.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON - Marshalltown sophomore Mary Kate Gruening makes contact with the ball during the singles matches in the Bobcats’ 9-2 win over Newton on Friday in Marshalltown. Gruening beat Jamie Rogers at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 6-3.

“When I was a sophomore it was a little scary being No. 1 for the first time, going up against the top girls in the state,” Fiscus said. “I am definitely more comfortable doing it now and not as nervous.”

Fiscus said Miller isn’t just getting it done on the court right now in both singles matches and as a doubles team with sophomore Mary Kate Gruening, she is taking ownership of the team’s success as a whole.

“She is showing a lot of senior leadership also, which is good to see,” he said. “We are having success with that, in doubles her and Mary Kate work really well together but Emily leads the charge. She kind of keeps Mary Kate under wraps so she doesn’t get too tense or anything.”

Gruening also won rather easily, taking a 6-1, 6-3, victory at No. 2 singles over Jamie Rogers. Fiscus said considering she wasn’t even on the team last year Gruening has shown a lot of growth in just one week of play.

“She understands that she can stop her match and come talk to me when she feels like she is getting tight and not hitting the points enough,” Fiscus said of Gruening. “I try to get her to settle down and take a breath, she’s not in a hurry, and she regrouped and did a lot better.”

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

In the doubles matches, Miller and Gruening won easily in the first set against Loehr and Jaysea Miller, 6-1, but they fell behind 0-3 quickly in the second set. Instead of tanking and playing for the third set, the duo fought back and took a 4-3 lead, then eventually won 7-5 for a straight-set win.

Emily Miller said even though they haven’t been playing together long, she and Gruening have good chemistry and play off of each other well.

“We just have a really, really good dynamic,” she said. “I think we are really good communicators, we are both working on playing smarter tennis and we pushed through.”

Possibly the most dominant Bobcat on the day was Madi Finch at No. 3 singles. Finch was all over the court on her way to a 6-3, 6-4, singles victory against Jaysea Miller, then at No. 2 doubles she and Olivia Brintnall combined for a 6-0, 6-1, win against Rogers and Kaylee Cross.

Fiscus said Finch’s abilities as a tennis player are still maturing, but her success in other sports is translating onto the court.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

“That goes back to her volleyball skills and covering the court. Her strokes can get better and better, and they will, but she is just such a great athlete,” Fiscus said of Finch. “That’s why she’s a four-sport athlete, that really carries over and makes a big difference.”

Brintnall also won her singles match in the No. 4 spot, 6-2, 6-0, against Corss. At times Cross couldn’t do anything but watch as Brintnall’s serve found the corner of the box with a great angle and speed for an ace, and Fiscus said that serve is a deadly tool in Brintnall’s arsenal.

“Her serve is her strong suit, and when she’s on she’s on,” Fiscus said. “Tonight we saw a lot of that obviously and it’s hard to return it, especially at a three or a four. She can overpower people.”

Grace Fisher rounded out the singles victories with a 6-1, 6-0, defeat of Madison Thayer, then Fisher and Jillian Lang swept Delaney Nasalroad and and Cristal Perez at No. 4 singles, 6-0, 6-0.

Fiscus said Fisher has filled the No. 6 singles role fantastically so far this year, but her greatest asset isn’t her play on the court.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

“She is coming up very strong, and what a great attitude,” Fiscus said of Fisher. “Her attitude is 100 percent positive, and she’s just fun to be around.”

Stella Roseburrough Borras and Carly Streets picked up the final doubles win in the No. 5 spot over Halie Rinehart and Sam Adams, 7-6, 6-3. Even in the loss America Dominquez and Hel Ter took at No. 3 singles against Thayer and Kloe Pettigrew, it was a close match where the two Bobcats ultimately fell 6-3, 7-6.

Fiscus said in general all five of his doubles teams have shown great chemistry together.

“They are very good at communicating this year, and they like to play with each other,” he said. “They talk to each other, and I think that’s a lot better than last year.”

After a whirlwind first week with three meets in four days, the Marshalltown girls have their first two victories and a lot of momentum, which is better than Fiscus was expecting.

“I wasn’t really sure at the beginning of the season how we would be at this point in time, and this is an excellent place to be where we’re at right now,” he said.

The Bobcats will need to stay hot for another tough week upcoming with Des Moines Lincoln paying a visit on Tuesday at 4 p.m., Fort Dodge making the trip down on Thursday and Waverly-Shell Rock coming out on Friday.

Miller said after back-to-back wins in her singles matches and back-to-back wins for her and Gruening in doubles, she is ready to take on the rest of the state.

“I am feeling pretty confident going into the rest of the season,” she said. “I think we will get a few more wins so that’s good.”

Marshalltown 9, Newton 2

At Marshalltown

Singles

Emily Miller (MHS) def. Ashley Loehr, 6-0, 6-1

Mary Kate Gruening (MHS) def. Jamie Rogers, 6-1, 6-3

Madi Finch (MHS) def. Jaysea Miller, 6-1, 6-3

Olivia Brintnall (MHS) def. Kaylee Cross, 6-2, 6-0

Kloe Pettigrew (N) def. America Dominquez, 7-6, 0-6

Grace Fisher (MHS) def. Madison Thayer, 6-2, 6-0

Doubles

Miller and Gruening (MHS) def. Loeh and Miller, 6-1, 7-5

Finch and Brintnall (MHS) def. Rogers and Cross, 6-0, 6-1

Pettigrew and Thayer (N) def. Dominquez and Hel Ter, 6-3, 7-6

Fisher and Jillian Lang (MHS) def. Delaney Nasalroad and Cristal Perez, 6-0, 6-0

Carly Streets and Stella Roseburrough Borras (MHS) def. Haley Rinehart and Sam Adams, 7-6, 6-3

: T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON – Marshalltown senior Emily Miller makes a running forehanded strike at the ball during her singles match of the Bobcats’ 9-2 win over Newton in their home opener on Friday. Miller won her singles match over Ashley Loehr, 6-0, 6-1.

: T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON – Marshalltown sophomore Mary Kate Gruening makes contact with the ball during the singles matches in the Bobcats’ 9-2 win over Newton on Friday in Marshalltown. Gruening beat Jamie Rogers at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 6-3.