The hopes were high for Brooklyn and Reese Keller after their section championship win propelled them to another state doubles tournament. The sisters entered the tournament without a seeded ranking due to playing singles most of the regular season.
The first match at the U of M’s Baseline Tennis center went as expected with the Raiders controlling most of the match. The Hastings duo took on the unranked team from Stillwater defeating them soundly 6-3, 6-1.
The second round was a different story. The girls faced the third seeded team from Rochester Mayo, falling to them in straight sets 6-2 and 6-1.
In their five seasons playing varsity tennis for Hastings, both girls broke the 100 win threshold. Brooklyn finished with an impressive 111-16 record while Reese finished her high school career 103-24. Both girls are likely in the top five for wins for Hastings girls tennis.
As the girl’s tennis season officially comes to a close, a look back on the season is warranted. The Keller family has been a major factor in Hastings Girls Tennis for at least the last six years. Their talent, kindness, leadership and support have been a formative piece for the entire girl’s team. The foundation has been established for the young players advancing through the ranks and the underclassmen have some big shoes to fill and the upcoming talent certainly has all the opportunity to do so.
The season may be over, but the excitement to see what the next season holds is palpable. With the experience gained by the younger classes and the examples set by all of the departing seniors, Hastings Tennis is bound to have an exciting future.