Woodbury girls tennis: Royals beat Park for first conference win

The youthful Woodbury girls tennis team may have gone 1-3 last week, but it’s the win – and the way the Royals played in their matches – that mattered most to head coach Derrick Otto.

Woodbury beat Park 7-0 last Thursday for its first Suburban East Conference win of the 2012 season. The Royals are now 4-6 overall and 1-3 in the SEC.

“Give our girls credit for staying focused enough to win each match in straight sets,” Otto said of the match against the winless Wolfpack.

In the win over Park, Woodbury junior Katie Kreibich won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, junior Taylor Monkman won 6-3, 6-4 at second singles, freshman Brooke Hays won 6-0, 6-4 at third singles and junior Angela Drehmel won 6-3, 6-2 at fourth singles. In doubles play, the Royals’ top duo of eighth-grader Mackenzie Schurhamer and junior Shanna Stevenson won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, while senior Yssa Yasis and sophomore Claire Proesch won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles and junior Greta Eisenrich and sophomore Rachael Herold-Plakut won 6-0, 6-2 at third doubles.

It was Woodbury’s second clean sweep of the season.

Prior to beating Park, Woodbury lost 6-1 to SEC foe Stillwater on Tuesday as the Ponies swept singles play.

“Stillwater looks to be a very strong team led by state qualifier Natalie Phippen at No. 1 singles,” Otto said. “Stillwater has an impressive singles lineup behind her. It was a great opportunity for our players to chalk up some great experience.”

The lone win for the Royals against the Ponies came at second doubles, where the duo of Yasis and Proesch won a tight three-set match, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 10-7. The No. 1 doubles team of Schurhamer and Stevenson took Stillwater to three sets, but couldn’t pull off the win.

“Doubles matches were much closer with two three-setters and the long 2 setter at No. 3,” Otto said. “I was very pleased with the effort of our girls against Stillwater. We've seen that we can compete with the top teams in doubles.”

In its other matches last week, Woodbury traveled to Duluth on Saturday for a tournament. The Royals fell 7-0 to Mahtomedi in round No. 1 and lost 6-1 to Elk River in a consolation match cut short due to rain.

This week, Woodbury was back in the SEC on Tuesday at Cretin-Derham Hall. Next, the Royals are at rival East Ridge on Thursday.

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