The Becker Bulldog girls tennis team has started the season 2-2 with a big win over Big Lake Thursday night and one win at last weekend’s Brainerd Invitational.

 

In a tight match against the Hornets, Becker’s Rachel Lukkarilla won a 10-point tiebreaker at #2 singles to pull out the big win for the home team Thursday night.

 

Olivia Hultgren (#1 singles) and Taylor Pawlicki (#4 singles) had won their matches while Ashley Souba (#3 singles) and two of Becker’s three doubles teams lost thier matches. Lukkarilla’s opponent, Paige Domyahn, battled valiantly, but Lukkarilla prevailed on a hot, humid evening on the courts.

 

Scores: #1 singles - Hultgren (BB) over Karelian Johnson (BL), 6-1, 6-0; #2 singles - Lukkarilla (BB) over Domyahn (BL), 6-7 (7-9), 6-2 (10-5); #3 singles - Ava Dotzler (BL) over Souba (BB), 4-6, 6-0, 0-6; #4 singles - Pawlicki (BB) over Samantha Perovich (BL), 6-3, 6-0.

 

#1 doubles - Aleesh Moss and Kendal Janousek (BL) over Anna Ritchie and Maddie Anderson (BB), 6-1, 4-6 (4-10); #2 doubles - Megan Nelson and Hannah Bengtson (BB) over Ashley Nelson and Hannah Kuhlow (BL), 6-0, 6-1; #3 doubles - Natalie Akerman and Lexi Wardarski (BL) over Amanda Lindsay and Amanda Brown (BB), 5-7, 6-2.

 

The Bulldogs traveled to the Brainerd area last weekend to play Virgina, Brainerd and Thief River Falls and came away with one win in their three matches.

 

In the first meet, Becker took on Virginia and despite the Blue Devils being a single “A” team, they have built quite a good tennis program in their community.

 

The Bulldogs prevailed by a 4-3 score behind wins from Hultgren (6-0, 6-1), Lukkarilla (6-0, 6-4), Pawlicki (7-5, 8-6 (14-12) in singles play and Nelson/Bengtson (6-1, 6-4) and Lindsay/Brown (6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (10-6)) in doubles.

 

Thief River Falls was a different story as all Becker singles players lost as well as two of the three doubles teams to lose 6-1.

 

Souba played at #1 singles and lost 3-6, 0-6 to the Prowlers’ Callie Fagerstrom. Pawlicki took her turn at #2 singles but lost 1-6, 0-6 to TRF’s Carley Lunsetter. Lindsay took the #3 singles spot but had no better luck against Elle Jorgenson, who beat her 6-0, 6-1. Brown competed at #4 singles and lost her match to Kira Beier, 6-1, 6-2.

 

Hultgren and Lukkarilla were thrown in to the #1 doubles spot and knocked off  TRF’s Allie Okeson and Kora Torkelson by a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) score. Ritchie and Anderson dropped to #2 doubles and lost to TRF’s Juliet Tunberg and Shawna Spears by a 6-2, 6-3 score. At #3 doubles, Becker’s Nelson and Bengtson lost to Sadie Cleven and Chloe Lund, 6-3, 6-2.

 

Against Brainerd, Head Coach Nate Bucher reassembled his lineup to its customary format, but the Bulldogs still lost to a very good Brainerd team.

 

Hultgren beat Brooke Numma, 6-1, 6-3 at #1 singles. Lukkarilla struggled against sophomore Paige Fitterer and lost 6-3, 6-4 at #2 singles. Souba faced freshman Britney Fletcher and lost a 6-3, 6-2 close match. At #4 singles, Pawlicki easily escaped with a win over junior Emily Price, 6-0, 6-1.

 

None of Becker’s doubles teams won their matches as Ritchie/Anderson lost to Ashley Fitterer and Libby Kurtzman at #1 doubles, 6-2, 6-3. Nelson and Bengtson lost to Brainerd’s Jenna Swanson and Kennedy Rusk at #2 doubles, 6-1, 6-3. Lindsay and Laura Niday were no match for Brainerd’s Megan Wroolle and Maria Bell, who won at #3 doubles, 6-1, 6-1.

 

“We've been right there in every match and our youthful team is growing stronger and stronger in these many close competitive matches,” said Bucher. “I really feel that our mental game has grown stronger as each day passes, learning how to play more pressure points, tiebreakers and being able to play from behind.”

 

The girls play at Foley Thursday then travel to Monticello Saturday to face the Magic.