By Bruce Karnick

[email protected]

Tennis always seems to have a week or two where they have a match or four every day. Obviously, that’s a bit of a stretch, but it sure seems like they were that busy looking at the number of results. First, the South St. Paul Packers came to town on Tuesday, September 13, then Tartan on Thursday, then Saturday they had three matches and Monday, they traveled to Roseville. That is six matches in six days, oh, and they play Tuesday the 21st too, so, make it seven in seven.

Against South St. Paul, the Raiders got behind early and worked their way back as Head Coach Marissa Welch explains. “It was incredible!! Three positions fighting to get into a third set (after losing the first!) and two out of the three did, and then eighth grader Brooklyn Keller came up clutch with a tiebreaker win in her third set! I was proud of the girls. I think they noticed that when you’re not ready to play against a good, solid team, you can get behind pretty quickly! But many were gritty and fought hard!!”

It’s hard not to share Welch’s enthusiasm for this team. It is a bit on the younger side, which bodes well for the future, even with the numbers of the youngest group being a little down this year. The Raiders will only graduate four varsity starters and only one starter is a junior.

Tuesday, September 13: SSP – 3, HHS – 4, Singles: No. 1 – Claire Keller, HHS def. Sarah Wincentsen, SSP, 6-0 , 6-0 , -; No. 2 – Madysen Krone, SSP def. Charlotte Kranz, HHS, 6-4 , 6-7 , 6-2 ; No. 3 – Autumn Winkler, HHS def. Malia Meyer, SSP, 6-3 , 6-4 , -; No. 4 – Brooklyn Keller, HHS def. Annie Felton, SSP, 3-6 , 6-3 , 7-6 ; Doubles: No. 1 – Lauren Bauer, Emma Cheney, SSP def. Molly Moran, Reese Keller, HHS, 6-4 , 7-6 , -; No. 2 – Olivia Molumby, Macey Ellis, SSP def. Chloe Konrady, Ellie Haas, HHS, 6-2 , 6-3 , -; No. 3 – Ruby Rotty, Mikayla Schuster, HHS def. Ella Rohrer, Grace Campbell, SSP, 6-1 , 6-3 , -; Thursday the Raiders were once again hosts and this time they were ready to go at the first serve against a scrappy Tartan squad.

Thursday, September 15: Tartan – 0, HHS – 7, Singles: No. 1 – Claire Keller, HHS def. Lauren Lambert, Tartan, 6-1 , 6-1 , -; No. 2 – Charlotte Kranz, HHS def. Simone Chounlamontry, Tartan, 6-1 , 6-1 , -; No. 3 – Autumn Winkler, HHS def. Elle Sweetland, Tartan, 6-0 , 6-1 , -; No. 4 – Brooklyn Keller, HHS def. Sarah Lambert, Tartan, 6-3 , 6-1 , -; Doubles: No. 1 – Molly Moran, Reese Keller, HHS def. Emma Munter, Molly Holthe, Tartan, 6-0 , 6-1 , -; No. 2 – Chloe Konrady, Ellie Haas, HHS def. Nolia Bigwood, Elliotte Robitaille, Tartan, 6-0 , 6-2 , -; No. 3 – Ruby Rotty, Mikayla Schuster, HHS def. Katelyn Hackman, Liliana Martinson, Tartan, 6-1 , 6-2 Saturday was a marathon day for the girls at the Eagan invitational. First they faced the hosts and won another close one 4-3. Then they took on Winona and won 6-1 and finally, they ran into Elk River. Elk River defeated the exhausted Raiders squad 7-0. Here are those individual results.

EAGAN (EHS) – 3, HHS – 4, Singles: No. 1 – Cassandra Li, EHS def. Claire Keller, HHS, 6-0 , 6-1 , -; No. 2 – Greta Peterson, EHS def. Charlotte Kranz, HHS, 6-3 , 6-4 , -; No. 3 – Brooklyn Keller, HHS def. Hanna Eggenberger, EHS, 6-0 , 7-6 (5), -; No. 4 – Ruby Rotty, HHS def. Emily Wong, EHS, 6-2 , 7-5 , -; Doubles: No. 1 – Molly Moran, Reese Keller, HHS def. Emerson Chaloux, Drew Buslee, EHS, 6-2 , 6-2 , -; No. 2 – Autumn Winkler, Chloe Konrady, HHS def. Lauren O’Brien, Elli Buslee, EHS, 6-4 , 6-1 , -; No. 3 – Lauren Grosz, Helen Paulsen, EHS def. Ellie Haas, Brooke Jelley , HHS, 6-4 , 6-2 , -; Winona – 1, HHS – 6, Singles: No. 1 – Claire Keller, HHS def. Adele Jacobsen, Winona, 6-1 , 6-1 , -; No. 2 – Reese Keller, HHS def. Marissa McNally, Winona, 6-3 , 6-1 , -; No. 3 – Autumn Winkler, HHS def. Velaina Kiesel, Winona, 6-1 , 6-1 , -; No. 4 – Brooklyn Keller, HHS def. Anna Bricco, Winona, 6-0 , 6-1 , -; Doubles: No. 1 – Molly Moran, Charlotte Kranz, HHS def. Molly Heinert, Jaida Oudel, Winona, 6-3 , 6-2 , -; No. 2 – Julia Reeck, Lauren Steinfeldt, Winona def. Chloe Konrady, Ellie Haas, HHS, 7-5 , 6-1 , -; No. 3 – Ruby Rotty, Brooke Jelley , HHS def. Kyra Benson, Bridgette Klonecki, Winona, 7-5 , 6-1 , HHS – 0, Elk River – 7, Singles: No. 1 – Ava Nelson, Elk River def. Charlotte Kranz, HHS, 6-1 , 6-0 , -; No. 2 – Emma Anderson, Elk River def. Autumn Winkler, HHS, 6-0 , 6-0 , -; No. 3 – Mya Nelson, Elk River def. Molly Moran, HHS, 6-1 , 6-0 , -; No. 4 – Kate Perbix, Elk River def. Brooke Jelley , HHS, 6-1 , 6-1 , -; Doubles: No. 1 – Abby Johnson, Paige Johnson, Elk River def. Claire Keller, Chloe Konrady, HHS, 6-1 , 6-2 , -; No. 2 – Leah Skogquist-Berg, Karly Hermanson, Elk River def. Brooklyn Keller, Reese Keller, HHS, 4-6 , 6-4 , 10-6 ; No. 3 – Emme Jorgenson, Grace Boswell, Elk River def. Ellie Haas, Amber Keller, HHS, 6-1 , 6-1 , -; Monday Night, the ladies were scheduled to travel to Roseville, but mother nature decided to give them a little break. There is no communication on that reschedule yet.

Thursday, they will travel to Mahtomedi, and then have a well deserved break from competition until Tuesday, September 28 when they host Simley.