Comet netters fall to Decorah in first full match of the season

Staff Report

DECORAH — A day after having their season-opening match against Mason City get postponed at the halfway mark, the Charles City girls tennis team was able to get in a full varsity match against Decorah on Tuesday.

As for the Vikings, who finished third in the Class 1A State Team Tennis Tournament last spring, this was their eighth match of the season that included weekend tournaments at Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Columbus Catholic.

Against the Comets, the Vikings took eight of the nine varsity matches.

Vikings No. 1 singles player Kally Petersen, who also was the team’s top singles player at state last season, defeated Charles City senior Morgan Kellogg in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0.

Decorah also took the No. 1 doubles match with Anna Spencer and Carina Yee — two other returners from the Vikings’ state lineup — defeating Kellogg and Emilee Bilharz, 7-5, 6-1.

The Comets’ lone win came in the No. 4 singles match. After losing the first set (6-3) to Josie Kleckner, CC sophomore Amy Boggess bounced back to win the second set (6-4) before taking the third (10-8).

In the No. 6 singles match, Comet senior Sandra Bontemps displayed similar resiliency against Viking Anna Bruneau. After dropping an extended first set (7-5), Bontemps won the second (6-4), but lost the third (10-3).

Charles City’s No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams both responded to 6-3 first-set losses with extended second-set efforts.

Boggess and Jodie Sindlinger dropped their second set (7-5) to Vita Domnenko and Mara Frieden in No. 2 doubles; and Emma Heidebrink and Taylor Walters lost a 7-6 battle to Vikings Rachel Grimstad and Allison Groux in No. 3 doubles.

“We competed well, especially our doubles teams,” Charles City coach Brian Parrott said. “We haven’t had much of a chance to practice this year, but we’re seeing improvement.”

In the other singles matches, Domnenko defeated Sindlinger, 6-0, 6-1, in No. 2; Grimstad defeated Bilharz, 6-4, 6-3, in No. 3; and Sophia Maguina defeated Heidebrink, 6-2, 6-4, in No. 5.

Charles City’s next match is today at Osage starting at 3 p.m.