Lady Cardinals’ patchwork tennis line-up keeps plugging away

By PAUL DELANEY

Staff Reporter

Last week’s lone Great Northern League girls’ 5-2 tennis loss to Pullman might, on the surface at least, be seen as a disappointment to both the team and their coach.

But after taking a closer look, coach Dawn Eliassen sees things differently. She’s happy to see some great efforts from members of her team, top to bottom, even though from day-to-day – and maybe even hour-to-hour – the team make-up is in a seemingly constant state of change.

Nagged by injuries and illness, Eliassen has effectively been throwing darts to assemble a weekly line-up, sometimes never knowing until the last minute who might fill any of her seven varsity spots.

The two Medical Lake wins came from the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. While the singles slot had not changed from an earlier 4-3 loss, the doubles did. Bri Bazo won a pair of close sets, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles, while Jessica McDaniel and Chelsea Dixon claimed a 6-3, 7-6 decision in their first time teaming together.

“I have to give major kudos to Bri who lost quite badly (0-6, 0-6 in the first meeting) and kind of turned it around and taught that girl (Emily Funabiki) a lesson up here,” Eliassen said of the 6-3, 6-4 win. “It’s amazing how well Bri played, she didn’t get frazzled, she didn’t get thrown off her game,” Eilassen said, adding, “She just played the style that she’s very good at playing and picked the other girl apart.”

Funabiki had previously knocked off a number of the GNL’s a number of No. 1’s, the coach noted. “She was someone Bri would have to get through to get to the district tournament.”

Despite losing, Danielle Von Lehe, “had a really good match,” her coach said, losing 4-6, 3-6 to Helen Chen at No. 2 singles.

Tareski found out about a minute before she was to play her first-ever singles match and had what her coach said was “a deer in the headlights look” for the first few games. She gave Melissa Volmer, a much more experienced player, according to Eliassen, “a run for her money,” at No. 3. Tareski came off the court after dropping the a 4-6, 1-6 set and told Eliassen, “Oh, that was fun, let me play that (spot) any time you want.”

Angelica Ploegman dropped a No. 4 singles set 1-6, 1-6 to Viviana Barona.

In doubles play, McDaniel and Dixon earned the No. 1 as Medical Lake was missing four varsity players due to sickness and injury. They included Nissa Van Meter, Anna Liznar, Megan Waldorf and Heather Butler. “Jessica and Chelsea stepped up into that No. 1 spot and just dominated,” Anna Dolezilez and Harshani Jayaram, Eliassen said, winning 6-3, 7-6 (8-6). “Granted, they did go into a tiebreaker, but they have improved so much this season.” Eliassen singled out their net play as being “real good.”

Kylie Tareski and Waldorf went three sets and lost last time out to the Lady Greyhounds’ No. 1 doubles team. “So for Jessica and Chelsea to step in, step up, and win was just so exciting,” the coach said.

The No. 2 doubles also included a different pair in Briana Vinson and Jessica Kauffman who lost to Alexis Weber and Chelsea Davis, 2-6, 3-6. No. 3 doubles included Jamie McDaniel who had never played a varsity match before. The sophomore teamed with Ashley Smith but dropped a two-setter, 0-6, 1-6, to Sam Hruban and Megan Lam.

“Overall, with the personnel we had, the positions we had, I’m not even disappointed, and I was real disappointed the first time around,” Eliassen said of her team’s earlier loss in Pullman.

This past weekend the Lady Cards took part in the Inland Empire Tournament, which was a snapshot of the season so far. “We had crazy substitutions and didn’t even fill two events,” Eliassen said.

Jessica McDaniel was a substitute in the No. 1 doubles, teaming with Bazo for the first time. Tareski and Waldorf had to forfeit their second match, because Waldorf was sick.

Von Lehe played No. 2 singles last year, moved up to No. 1 this year and was the only Lady Cardinal to advance to the second day. Following a loss to Davenport, 4-6, 5-7 Von Lehe won in a default against Colville to place seventh.

Medical Lake took on Deer Park this past Tuesday, and Colville Wednesday in a make-up of a rained out match. They host Clarkston today, Thursday, May 7 at 3:45.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected]