ALTON/EDWARDSVILLE - This is a roundup of the Jersey-Edwardsville, Edwardsville-Alton boys tennis match and a previous challenging weekend for the Tigers in Chicago.
The Tigers won 9-0 over Jersey at Edwardsville.
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Colten Hulme, Jessie Hatrup, Jade Dynamic, Michael Karibian, Jace Ackerman and Sam Motley recorded victories and each of the Tigers' doubles teams won.
Edwardsville defeated Alton 9-0 in a Southwestern Conference Dual Match this past week. Colton Hulme won at No. 1, Jesse Haltrup at No. 2, Jade Dynamic at No. 3, Michael Karibian at No. 3, Jace Ackerman at No. 5 and Sam Motley at No. 3, and the Tigers won the three doubles matches against the Redbirds.
“Our kids played hard, but Edwardsville was just too deep," Redbirds head boys tennis coach Jesse Macias said. "They have some strong players back from last year and their freshman Jesse Hattrup makes them that much better. I liked the effort from everyone, especially Victor Humphrey and Nate Bartlett at number three doubles. It’s time to focus on doubles and the Robert Logan tournament this weekend.”
Tigers Have Challenges In Chicago But Grow From Competition
CHICAGO – Edwardsville Tiger Tennis had back-to-back challenging weekends. First when they took third place at the Annual Tiger Invitational and then another tournament the weekend after at Chicago’s Hersey High School. It was a cold and windy weekend that featured a new playing format and saw the Tigers place fourth in the tournament.
“It was a really challenging weekend for us," said head coach Dave Lipe. “It was cold, windy, and this is the only event we play with 11 kids on 1 team. We played the format they play in Chicago, where they play three singles and four doubles, so that’s 11 kids. We are used to playing six kids in our varsity format. So, we had to extend the roster for all 11 kids to get a chance to travel and to play.”
The level of competition was one the only familiar factors this weekend for the Tigers. An unpracticed playing format and Chicago’s Spring weather conditions were difference-makers this weekend. “The weather was a big difference. Last weekend, we had some wind, but this weekend it was windier and colder, but the level of competition was the same as last weekend," Coach Lipe said. “The last match could have gone either way. It was a tough match to lose to Glenbard West, 4-3. I am proud of the kids and the way they battled, so this is another good learning opportunity for the kids to grow.”
The Tigers are a good, young team at their core. Playing good competition while learning to deal with weather conditions will shape them into a great team. For now, schools like Hersey remain the top contenders. Lipe said: “Hersey was the strongest team in both fields and why they won both tournaments. We got third last weekend and got four this weekend. It came down to one or two matches. We don’t have a lot of experience at the bottom of our lineup this year, but I don’t fault the kids. I think we played well in every single spot & they played in tough conditions, but conditions were tough for everybody.”
Final Results:
Edwardsville def. Buffalo Grove, 7-0
Fremd def. Edwardsville, 0-7
Glenbard West def. Edwardsville, 4-3
Moving forward, Lipe and his team are excited about approaching warm weather. “We are looking forward to having some Spring weather because we have a busy week approaching. I think everyone is sick of the wind and cold at this point. Everyone is growing, starting to feel comfortable on the court as a team, and I am looking to continue that trend.”
