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Top seed Huinker sisters move to semifinals
Decorah’s Olivia and Grace Huinker win 11 games in a row to move onto the semifinals of Iowa Girls’ Tennis State Tournament
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IOWA CITY — It did not start well.
After rolling to a 6-0, 6-0 opening round state tournament twin, Decorah's sister duo of Olivia and Grace Huinker got off to a rough start in their quarterfinal match against Boone's Kaylee Kuehl and Livi Schneider, falling behind 4-1 in the first set.
"It was tough," Olivia Huinker said. "All of the sudden, it just switched for us and once we started working together and cheering for each other."
That switch turned into a landslide. The Huinker sisters rebounded to win the next 11 games to win 6-4, 6-0 on Wednesday afternoon at the Class 1A state tennis tournament at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center.
The sisters are the top seed in the tournament. They will meet Central DeWitt's Greenley Grell and Clara LeConte, the No. 4 seed in a 10 a.m. Thursday semifinal match.
Decorah has a strong tennis tradition and the Huinker sisters are looking to add to that lore. Caden Branum won a boys’ state singles title in 2023 and, according to Grace, "it would mean everything" for them to win two more matches on Thursday.
Both sisters acknowledged that it is a big advantage for them to play as a team.
"We like playing together," Olivia said. "I think it is good because we know each other and we know each other's game so well. That helps so much."
In their quarterfinal win Wednesday, it was Grace's big serve that got things going in the first set.
"At the start, I get down when I am missing my serves," Grace said. "Once I got it going, it just keeps going. It just took me a few games to get it going today.“
Cedar Rapids Xavier still is in line to sweep both the singles and double titles after impressive performances.
Two-time defending state singles champion Gabi Fleming rolled through to the semifinals. She posted a pair of 6-0, 6-0 wins over Estherville Lincoln Central's Megan Lausen and Decorah's Kaitlyn Bjork.
Fleming is attempting to become just the ninth player in state history to win three state titles, the last being Dubuque Wahlert's Sarah Dalton (2009-11). She will play Shenandoah's Gabi Jacobs in the semifinals.
Her finals opponent could end up being one of her teammates. Unseeded Lulu Rozeboom advanced to the semifinals with an impressive 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 3 seed, Lea Patrick of Davenport Assumption. Next up for Rozeboom is No. 2 seed Kate Holton of Waterloo Columbus, who was the runner-up to Fleming last spring.
In doubles, the Xavier duo of Tia Halabi and Gemma Younadam, the No. 2 seed, downed Annle Elbert and Claire King of Dubuque Wahlert, 6-4, 6-1, in the quarterfinals to advance. They will meet the No. 3 seed, Abby Hietbrink and Addison Namminga of Pella. The Saints other duo of Kelsey Weiss and Gemma Zeckser lost a tough three-set match in the quarterfinals to Central DeWitt's Grell and LeConte.
In 2A play at Byrnes Park in Waterloo, the Cedar Rapids Washington duo of Lily Belle Barker and Samantha Becker advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 upset of No. 3 seeded Kaitlyn Nguyen and Sophie Tannenbaum of West Des Moines Valley.
They will face the second seeded pair of Brianna Launderville and Zoey Studer of Johnston.
In singles play, Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Lily Holland won her first match, then fell to Cedar Falls' Mackenzie Sagers, 6-2, 7-6 in the quarterfinals. Holland still is alive for a Top 8 finish in the consolation round as is Liberty's Vivian Kahler. The MVC rivals will meet in the consolation semifinals at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.
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