The Blair High School tennis program took a step forward Thursday during the Class B State Championships at Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln.
The Bears earned three first-round victories in the most prestigious tournament on the schedule, a new high mark for their school.
BHS has played 15 tennis seasons since the sport's debut in 2006, and never notched more than two state victories during any one — until Thursday. Coach Matt Aschoff's team went 3-4 overall.
Caitlyn Haggstrom, No. 1 Singles
Junior Caitlyn Haggstrom is the first Blair No. 1 Singles player to finish a season with a winning record.
The 12th-seeded Bear went 1-1 during the state tournament, besting Nebraska City senior Samantha Fredrichs in the first round before a two-set loss to Bennington's Kailee Bailey during the second. She lost the first game of the morning, but battled back to pick up a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
During the first set against Fredrichs, Haggstrom followed her serves up to the net, unleashing slams — or soft shots — when the opportunities presented themselves.
“She hit a lot of balls short, so I thought that was the best option,” the junior said. “But then, later, she started hitting down the line, so that's when I started to stay in the back a little more. Just not be as aggressive, and just try to keep it in.”
Haggstrom fell behind again during the second set, 3-1, before winning four-straight games to gain control, win the match and avoid the tiebreaker.
“It's pretty humid today, so I wanted to be done quickly,” she explained, before detailing her strategy. “I wanted to keep the ball in and let her make the mistake.”
The win pushed Haggstrom into the second round.
“I think that was a good way to warm up because the next match is going to be pretty tough,” she said.
It was.
Bailey, the fifth-seeded player in Class B No. 1 Singles, closed out the Bear's season with a 6-2, 6-0 victory.
Maicy Lourens and Phoenixx Penke, No. 1 Doubles
BHS' No. 1 Doubles team earned its first-round victory by comeback upset.
The Bears' senior pairing — Maicy Lourens and Phoenixx Penke — knocked off 11th-seeded Sydney Conner and Ashton Huls of Kearney Cathoic 3-6, 6-3 (10-8) before falling out of the tournament against Lincoln Christian's No. 6 pairing, 6-1, 6-3.
The seniors played two despite a sour start to their first match. They fell behind 3-0 before gaining some footing as the match against the Stars progressed.
“We just focused more and played how we knew how to play,” Penke said.
BHS' duo jumped out to a big lead during the second set and, eventually, forced the tiebreaker. In it, the teams race to 10 to see who advances.
Lourens said she's enjoyed playing tiebreakers all season long. She actually prefers the high-pressure situation more than regular play.
“I don't think I've lost one yet this year,” she said. “Maybe that's why.”
In their second match, however, the high school tennis careers of Penke and Lourens came to a close. Lincoln Christian's Sasha Glenn and Jenna Wiltfong won and moved one step closer to medal contention.
Addy Nilges and Bailey Dingfield, No. 2 Doubles
The Bears' No. 2 Doubles team nearly picked up two victories during Thursday's state tournament play. Addy Nilges and Bailey Dingfield controlled their match against Lexi Benson and Natalie Brandt of Hastings before a tight, 2-6, 7-6 (11-9) loss to Adam Central's Emmery Huyser and Gracie Weichman. That loss was a ninth-seed upset of No. 8 BHS.
First, though, the Blair pairing looked every bit the eighth-ranked team in Class B against the Tigers. It was evident during the 6-2, 6-2 win that the Bears were enjoying themselves.
“We try and stay happier and it improves our game,” Nilges said. “When we get down on ourselves, we don't do well.”
It didn't happen against Benson and Brandt. The Bears earned a comfortable victory and advanced.
“We did good moving and not giving up on points,” Dingfield said.
Alexandra Nilges, No. 2 Singles
Blair sophomore Alexandra Nilges didn't pick up a state victory to cap her first high school tennis season Thursday, but she did perform well. Her coach was impressed.
“That was as good as Alexandra has played,” Aschoff said after Nilges' 6-3, 6-4 defeat. “That was great.”
The Bear pushed fifth-seeded Eva Behlen of Bennington, particularly during a strong stretch of play during the second set. Nilges dug deep, winning long back-and-forths with effective, well-placed shots. She battled back from a 5-2 deficit and pulled within one, but, ultimately, fell during first-round play.
