LWK, LRS enjoy preseason match

The LaCrosse-Washtucna/Kahlotus and Lind-Ritzville/Sprague tennis teams faced off in a non-league match in Ritzville on Saturday, March 22, to kick off the season. The LRS team also faced Mead in a practice match, before taking on Odessa-Harrington in the first league games of the season. LWK also played Davenport in the first league match of the season on March 25.

In the Saturday match between LRS and LWK, the Broncos won the preseason match with wins in almost every contest. The Tigercats were short one player, Levi Allen, which left the team without their No. 1 doubles team.

The No. 1 girls singles match was a returning competition and hard-fought battle between Tracy Melville for LRS and Lura Potter for Colfax. While Potter attends Colfax High School, she competes with the LWK team because Colfax does not have a tennis team.

After being neck and neck for the first two sets, Potter and Melville took a short break before the final set of the day. Melville eventually earned the preseason win, defeating Potter 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In the No. 2 girls singles match, Carissa Peavey and LWK athlete Amber McCaleb remained evenly matched throughout the course of the morning contest. The girls battled with serves and volleys, and eventually McCaleb earned the only Tigercat win of the day with a 6-1, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Peavey.

On the boys’ side of the court, Bronco Travis Ste. Marie took on Douglas McKeen in the No. 1 singles match. Ste. Marie defeated McKeen 6-0, 6-1 in the first preseason match up.

In the No. 2 singles competition, Justin Templin faced Logan Miller. The duo battled on the court before Templin slipped to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Miller.

The final match of the day was the No. 1 doubles competition between Broncos Alex Wheeler and Kyle Canaday, and Tigercats Garrett Correll and Derek McKeen.

The experienced Bronco duo showed their strength on the court and ran past the Tigercat newcomers with a 6-1, 6-0 win.

The Tigercats and Broncos also played a variety of matches for fun and to gain experience on the court. Since the Bronco team had more players than the Tigercats, both teams used the opportunity to practice on the court and prepare for the upcoming season.

The Broncos began their first preseason experience against Mead prior to Saturday’s match and head coach Liz Melville explained it was an unofficial match as the team competed against Mead’s junior varsity boy’s team.

Melville estimated overall the Broncos won more matches than they lost, but the teams did not keep scores at the practice match.