Squaws handle Tiger netters

May 3, 2011

    Bellmont's girls' varsity tennis team went to 5-3 on Monday with a rain-shortened 3-1 win over Bluffton, which is 3-5.
    The Squaw wins were by Alysha Helmrich at No. 3 singles, 6-1 and 6-0, over Amanda Stone and by both doubles units: Madeline Albert and Abby Stimpson, 6-0 and 6-1, over Annessa Reiff and Allison Williams in No. 1 action,  plus Andrea Fruchte and Shelby Kiess by 6-2 and 7-6 (7-1) over Hannah Gilliam and Gina Eisenhut in No. 2 doubles.
    Bluffton's victory was by No. 1 singles player Kara Fiechter over Allison Gutierrez, 6-1 and 6-2.
    The singles match between Bellmont's (No. 2) Maddi Werling and Bluffton's Megan Evans was incomplete due to rain. Both girls won 6-1 sets, and Evans led 5-0 in the third set.
    The make-or-break match, said Squaw coach Tom Smith, was the Fruchte-Kiess doubles event. He said they "started strongly with a 6-2 opening, then lost their focus. Bluffton came back to lead, 5-4, in the second set. However, the Bellmont girls did a great job regaining their focus when they most needed it to force a tie-breaker" and go on to win.
    Today, the Squaws play at Homestead, then they host East Noble on Wednesday.
    Bellmont swept the reserve matches:
    Singles:
    •Katelyn Roe over Hunter Cunningham, 8-1, at No. 1.
    •Andrea Chronister over Sammy Gilliam, 8-1, at No. 2.
    •Kylie Beery over Sierra Steffen, 7-3, at No. 3.
    Doubles
    •Emily Koeneman and Hannah Endorf (No. 1) over Taylor Dove and Paige Jacobs, 7-4.
    •Rachel Baumgartner and Taya Adams (No. 2) over Mykayla Rodenbeck and Alyssa Thompson, 7-1.