Carroll tennis opens with win over NW
Bishop Carroll posted a successful beginning to its bid for the City League girls tennis title Tuesday, but visiting Northwest proved to be tougher than the 8-1 score indicated.
“We were happy with the play today, get those first-match jitters out of the way,” Carroll coach Monica Peter said.
The Grizzlies’ lone point came at No. 1 doubles, where seniors Lindy Wilkerson and Daphne Cavallero outlasted Golden Eagles senior Paige Lauer and freshman Natalie Lubbers. Lauer and Lubbers breezed through the first set, 6-0, but dropped the second set, 6-2 and then lost a 10-2 tiebreaker.
At No. 1 singles, Wilkerson brought an improved game to the court against Carroll junior Courtney Lubbers, but eventually fell, 6-4, 6-0.
“She ran me around in the first set, and in the second set I knew I had to buckle down and take care of things,” Lubbers said. “I had to focus.”
The two went to deuce three times in the seventh game before Lubbers prevailed. Wilkerson then won the next two games, cutting the deficit to 5-4, but Lubbers broke her serve to win the set, winning four straight points.
Wilkerson appeared to tire late in the second set, missing some serves. Northwest coach Mike Thomas said she is getting over an illness.
Peter, benefiting from only one loss to graduation and adding freshman twins Natalie and Nicole Lubbers, changed things up a bit, putting Courtney Lubbers and Maddie Oxler – the No. 1 doubles team a year ago – at No. 2 doubles.
Winning their doubles match, 6-0, 6-0, helped reserve some energy for singles, Oxler said.
“Definitely, a hard doubles match will tire you out, which can make a difference,” she said.
Peter said it was a good way to start.
“Courtney played really well, and our (No. 1) doubles team, we didn’t pull it out, but it was a good, competitive match, and we need to start playing those,” she said.
Singles – 1. C. Lubbers, BC, def. Wilkerson, 6-4, 6-0; 2. Oxler, BC, def. Cavallero, 6-2, 6-3; 3. Lauer, BC, def. Torres, 6-1, 6-2; 4. Na. Lubbers, BC, def. Wingert, 6-0, 6-0; 5. Ni. Lubbers, BC, def. Ramos, 6-0, 6-1; 6. Dorn, BC, def. Haywood, 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles – 1. Wilkerson-Cavallero, NW, def. Lauer-Na. Lubbers, 0-6, 6-2 (10-2); 2. C. Lubbers-Oxler, BC, def. Torres-Wingert, 6-0, 6-0; 3. Ni. Lubbers-Dorn, BC, def. Ramos-Haywood, 6-1, 6-0.