Linn-Mar girls’ tennis moving up the ladder

MARION — Bruce Croy knew what needed to happen when he became the Linn-Mar girls’ tennis coach three years ago.

He wanted to close the gap between the girls’ program and the boys’ program, which has been consistently one of the state's best for the past 20 years

"So my first year coming in I was told by people that nobody wants to coach a 4-10 team," he said. "My first year my goal was to develop this program and do something potentially like the boys. It wasn't something that was going to happen overnight. It had to be, and continues to be, a process."

Croy's process appears to be working.

In Monday's Class 2A regional singles and doubles tournament at Oak Ridge Middle School, the Lions saw five of their six varsity players earn spots in the state tournament, May 30-31 at the Hawkeye Recreation and Tennis Complex in Iowa City.

The Lions swept the top two spots in doubles. Seniors Maddie Harris and Emily Brandt downed teammates Anna Schlesinger and Mallory Erickson, 6-3, 6-2 in the final, sending both off to the state tournament.

"It's a great feeling," Harris said. "Playing against our teammates in the final was a fun, no-pressure match because we knew we were both going to state."

Brandt and Harris were the No. 2 seed, but Schlesinger and Erickson were the No. 4 seed and had to upset the top seeded team of Ellie Holdorf and Natalie Schertz from Davenport West, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 in the semifinals to secure their state berth.

"They really did a great job," Brandt said. "They had to beat the No. 1 seed to make it to state and they played a great match against them to win."

Croy knew doubles would be in good hands in the postseason.

"We knew from the beginning of the season that we wanted to go doubles," Croy said. "They worked really hard on it all year and I was happy to see the results today."

The fifth state qualifier came in singles where unseeded freshman Reagan Boies fought off a number of match points in the second set, to rally for a 1-6, 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (9-7) win over No. 2 Vivian Kahler of Iowa City Liberty in her semifinal match to secure the state berth.

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Boies injury defaulted in the finals match against top-seed Madelyn Jepsen of North Scott.

"We're so fortunate to have Reagan Boies at the top of our lineup," Croy said. "She has helped us solidify our 1-3 positions."

In other 2A action on Monday, Cedar Rapids Jefferson junior Lily Holland and the Iowa City West team of Sasha Postnikov and Marie Stier won regional titles at West. Holland, the top seed, did not drop a game in her three matches, downing Dubuque Hempstead's Noor Kaasas, 6-0, 6-0 in the title match. Postnikov and Stier rolled past Hempstead's Claire Kelley and Mya Hoden, 6-1, 6-1, in the doubles final.

In Class 1A play at Camanche, top-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier advanced its entire team to state. Defending state singles champion Gabi Fleming rolled to the title, downing teammate Gemma Younadam, 6-0, 6-0 in the final. She won all four of her matches on Monday without dropping a game. Younadam was playing just two weeks after undergoing an appendectomy.

The Saints No. 1 doubles team of Ruby Smith and Izzy Tobin took the crown, defeating teammates Tia Halabi and Lulu Rozeboom in the title match, 6-0, 7-5.

At Decorah, sisters Olivia and Grace Huniker of Decorah won the doubles title, downing Peyton Kloster and Adria Neymeyer of Aplington-Parkersburg, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the final.