Jackie Klinkner

The Buccaneer girls tennis team got off to a great start this season when they defeated the Fairmont Cardinals in the first match of the year.

The Bucs downed the Cards in the first match of a triangular held last Tuesday in Blue Earth.

They lost their second match 6-1, however, to Lake City.

The Bucs won 4-3 over the Cardinals in a close match.

“It was unbelievable that we won our first match,” Coach Terry Barnes says. “The girls put forth a lot of effort in hot and humid conditions.”

Emily Slama

No. 1 singles player Emily Slama, a sophomore, got the ball rolling by downing her senior opponent, Kaitlin Bloomgren 6-2, 6-0.

Jackie Klinkner, No. 2 singles, also won big, defeating Kelly Bloomgren 6-3, 6-0.

Annika Johnson, playing No. 3 singles, lost to the Cards’ Melissa DeBoer 2-6, 1-6. No. 4 singles Abby Nimz lost to Sydney Ruen 1-6, 2-6.

No. 1 doubles Jessica Skaare and Sam Hogstad downed Hayley Grefe and Libby Humpal 6-1, 6-2 for another Buccaneer win

Sophomores Alicia Johnson and Eli Johnson, playing in the No. 2 doubles team slot, lost to Rachel Tenney and Casey Paris of the Cards, 1-6, 3-6.

In the closest game of the match, No. 3 doubles Mackenzie Lein and Jordan Hanevik defeated Haleigh Gerhardt and Kate Murphy.

After losing the first game 3-6, the pair came back for a 6-4 win. That led to a super tie-breaker which Lein and Hanevik won 12-10.

The Bucs ran into stiff competition against Lake City, who went on to blank Fairmont 7-0 later in the day.

Jackie Klinkner, playing No. 2 singles, got the Bucs only win. She defeated Laura Berkfold 6-4, 1-6 and took the super tie-breaker 12-10.

No. 3 singles Annika Johnson had identical set scores as Klinkner at 6-4, 1-6, but then lost the super tie-breaker 6-10.

No. 1 singles Emily Slama lost 3-6, 1-6. No. 4 singles Abby Nimz fell 0-6, 0-6.

No. 1 doubles Jessica Skaare and Sam Hogstad, and No. 3 doubles Eli Johnson and Alicia Johnson lost 1-6, 1-6, and 1-6, 0-6 respectively.

No. 2 doubles team of Olivia Skaare and Mackenzie Lein lost their first set 1-6, then had to withdraw when Skaare, who had been battling illness for several days, was unable to continue.

“For being so young, and for our first competition of the year, we did pretty well,” Coach Barnes says. “The heat might have done us in a bit, but overall I am pleased we got one win under our belts.”

Next up for the girls is a home match this Thursday when they host Martin County West.