The Becker Bulldog girls tennis team saw their season record fall to 4-3 as they played four matches this week, winning one and losing three.

 

The Bulldogs faced  an imposing Brainerd Warrior tennis team Monday and came home empty-handed in the Brainerd Invitational Tournament.

 

Taylor Pawlicki lost to Payge Fitterer, 2-6, 1-6 at # 1 singles. Anna Ritchie had the same misfortune as she lost to Libby Kurtzman, 1-6, 3-6 at #2 singles.

 

Blair Pappenfus couldn’t win a game against Katie Kurtzman, losing 0-6, 0-6 at #3 singles. Courtney Nuest also took it on the chin, losing to Brainerd’s Kiera Schweitzberger, 3-6, 5-7.

 

No better luck for Becker at doubles as Megan Nelson and Hannah Bengtson battled hard, but lost to Kennedy Rusk and Britney Fletcher, 5-7, 2-6 at #1 doubles.

 

Ally Kangas and Payton Bernstrom got swept in two sets, 2-6, 1-6 to Brainerd’s Taya Person and Sydney Stock at #2 doubles.

 

Emily Kotten and Alayna Lindquist didn’t fair any better, losing to Maria Bell and Jaycie Hinrichs, 2-6, 4-6 at #3 doubles.

 

Becker was swept for the second time on the same day as they battled the Virginia Blue Devils in the Brainerd tournament.

 

Becker’s Pawlicki lost to Virgina’s Ava Warren at #1 singles, Ritchie lost to Anna Seitz in #2 singles, Pappenfus lost to Mary Skorich at #3 singles and Nuest lost to Katie Scherf at #4 singles.

 

Nelson and Bengtson lost to Callie Mauston and Alex Saxhaug at #1 doubles. Kangas and Bernstrom lost to Mia Cope-Robinson and Cassie Cornell at #2 doubles and Kotten and Lindquist lost to Mailee Peterson and Caleece Mhyre at #3 doubles.

 

 

“"We are a young team, so we learned a lot playing those two tough teams,” said Head Coach Nathan Bucher. “We were able to see a higher level of play, and we see more of what we need to do to compete at that level.”

 

Thursday, Becker traveled to Cambridge-Isanti for the annual Cambridge Invitational Tournament and went 1-1.

 

“The girls played a tough match against C-I,” said Bucher. “We matched up well with their experience and I think this match could have went in our favor on a different day.”

 

 The Becker girls were swept at singles with Pawlicki losing to Tori Kosel, 1-6, 2-6 at #1 singles. Ritchie lost to Anna Fredland, 5-7, 2-6 at #2 singles.

 

Pappenfus lost to Lili Marlton, 1-6, 4-6 at #3 singles and Nuest lost to Abby Bensen, 2-6, 2-6 at #4 singles.

 

The duo of Nelson and Bengtson lost a tight match to Steph Minnihan and Alyssa Anderson, 5-7, 3-6 at #1 doubles.

 

Kangas and Bernstrom got a win for Becker when they knocked off Shelby Parent and Maddie Pynes, 7-5, 0-6, 10-7 at #2 doubles.

 

Kotten and Lindquist got Becker’s other win over Alyssa Krause and Lauren Kindem, 6-3, 6-3 at #3 doubles.

 

The Bulldogs capped off their tough week with a convincing win over the Orioles at the Cambridge Invitational.

 

Pawlicki conquered Anna Zefflinger at #1 singles, 6-3, 2-6, 10-7. Ritchie also went three sets but prevailed over Malerie Cornea, 7-5, 2-6, 11-9. Pappenfus also went three sets but lost to Jessica Dahl, 6-4, 5-7, 8-10 at #3 singles.

 

Nuest had little trouble with Karissa Erickson, 6-0, 6-1 at #4 singles.

 

Becker swept doubles play as Nelson and Bengtson easily dispatched of Cynthia Odens and Jessie Rodriguez, 6-0, 6-0 at #1 doubles.

 

Kangas and Bernstrom had to go three sets to beat Mandy Marasch and Julia Ngep, 6-1, 3-6, 11-9 at #2 doubles.

 

Kotten and Lindquist took care of business at #3 doubles, handily beating Emma Smith and Laura Denchfield, 6-2, 6-1.

 

“We kept our composure and really focused on the match with Osseo,” said Bucher. “Even the one loss at three singles was so close to being a win. Blair fought hard and was connecting on a lot of her shots, but just couldn't get enough of them to fall.”

 

The Bulldogs travel  to Monticello Sept. 10 for a weekend tournament against the Magic and the Foley Falcons.