Hodag Highlights: Tennis season ends at sectionals

The Rhinelander High School girls tennis team concluded their season last week, with several players competing in the WIAA Division 1 sub-sectional tournament on Monday, October 6, followed by the sectional tournament on Wednesday.
The sub-sectional, held at Wausau West, saw players from nine different teams vie for a spot in the next round. To advance to the sectional tournament, the top seeds in both singles and doubles needed to secure a win in their opening match.
For the Hodags, No. 1 singles player Annie VanderGalien (No. 9 seed) faced Emily Frahm of Merrill in her first-round match. VanderGalien’s season came to an end after she was defeated in straight sets. Similarly, Jordan Manske at No. 2 singles and Taylor McKinney at No. 3 singles both lost their first matches, ending their runs.
In doubles action, the No. 1 duo of Maddie LeGrey and Teagan Turcotte were successful, winning their first match against a team from Wisconsin Rapids to punch their ticket to the sectional tournament. The No. 2 doubles team of Eva Heck and Willow VanDen Heuvel, along with the No. 3 team of Willow Mutter and Addy Currie, each won their opening matches but were then eliminated in the second round.
The final Hodag to advance from the subsectional was No. 4 singles player Lucy Evers. She defeated Samantha Yach of DC Everest (No. 8 seed) in her first match and followed up with a decisive victory over the No. 4 seed from Marshfield, winning 6-2, 6-0.
Both the No. 1 doubles team and Lucy Evers traveled to Eau Claire for the sectional tournament on Wednesday. LeGrey and Turcotte’s season ended after they were defeated in straight sets by the No. 1 seed.
Lucy Evers continued her impressive run in the first round, winning a hard-fought match. After splitting the first two sets, she won the tie-breaker 10-7. Her season, and the Hodags’ run, concluded in the second round when she was defeated 6-3, 6-0.