Nina Marquardt clinches regional semifinal for retooled Xavier girls’ tennis

INDEPENDENCE – With a revamped lineup, Cedar Rapids Xavier girls' tennis is back within striking distance of the Class 1A team state tournament.

Sophomore Nina Marquardt rallied from a 5-1 deficit in a third-set tiebreaker and sent the Saints to the regional final with a 5-1 quarterfinal victory over Mount Vernon on Saturday.

'I just remembered that I need to stay calm, even though I probably didn't look like it,' Marquardt said. 'Just try to keep the ball in and stay as consistent as I can.'

With Xavier leading the dual, 4-1, Marquardt had the opportunity to seal the dual without the need for doubles play, but faced a four-point deficit in the tiebreaker with Mount Vernon's Mallory Scieszinski.

Marquardt rallied twice, first with a 7-0 surge that claimed the lead, then she fended off match point with three-straight points to win, 6-4, 4-6, 11-9.

'Just breathe, basically, and try to have a mindset of 0-0 and keep going,' Marquardt said when asked about the two third-set deficits.

Marquardt has played a key role all season for Xavier, which graduated its top three players from last year's 1A state runner-up team. Marquardt made the significant lineup leap from sixth last season to second, while seniors Katie Neumeyer and Megan D'mello moved from the bottom half to slots one and three, respectively.

'There's a lot of different players, a lot better players,' Marquardt said. 'I've just gotten a lot more experience.'

This year's Xavier lineup includes senior Ellie Detweiler and freshmen Emily Jasper and Maddie Abu-Nameh. All three fought through winds in excess of 25 miles-per-hour and collected singles victories against the Mustangs.

'With this wind out here, anything can happen,' Xavier Coach Matt Foxhoven said. 'Just really happy with the way they responded to everything.'

In the first-round duals, Xavier eliminated Marion, 5-0, while Mount Vernon toppled host Independence, 5-1.

Xavier will play Pella Christian May 21 at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex for a trip to the state tournament.

In the first round of the 2A girls' team tennis regionals, Cedar Rapids Washington juniors Hannah Sherman and Kelly King were double winners in the Warriors' 5-2 victory over Muscatine, while Prairie blanked Waterloo East, 5-0.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson traveled up I-380 and returned with a 5-1 victory over Waterloo West.

All three advance to the Class 2A team tennis semifinals on May 21.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Iowa City High were both eliminated in the boys' tennis preliminary substate round on Saturday. Bettendorf ousted the Little Hawks, 5-1, while the host Cougars lost, 5-2, to Dubuque Senior.

The Xavier boys dropped their preliminary substate dual, 5-1, against Dubuque Wahlert.

Team Regionals

CLASS 1A

Quarterfinal

At Independence

C.R. Xavier 5, Marion 0

Singles —

Katie Neumeyer (CRX) def. Madison Wilson, 6-2, 6-4; Nina Marquardt (CRX) def. Shannon Sellers, 6-3, 6-2; Megan D'mello (CRX) def. Nicole Toppin, 6-1, 6-2; Emily Jasper (CRX) def. Amery Bruce, 6-2, 6-1; Ellie Detweiler (CRX) def. Rachel Halm, 6-1, 6-2; Maddie Abu-Nameh (CRX) def. Calista Dittmer, 6-1, unfinished.

Quarterfinal

At Independence

Mount Vernon 5, Independence 1

Singles —

Wynne Vandersall (MV) def. Sarah Morkel, 6-2, 6-0; Mallory Scieszinski (MV) def. Kelsey Cain, 7-5, 2-6, 10-6; Cindy Huang (I) def. Isabella Logan, 7-6, 7-6; Jo-sie Vandersall (MV) def. Jaden McGrath, 6-2, 6-1; Brittney Darrow (MV) def. Madi Schroeder, 6-1, 6-0; Katie Wycoff (MV) def. Abby Davis, 7-6, 6-3

Semifinal

At Independence

C.R. Xavier 5, Mount Vernon 1

Singles —

Wynne Vandersall (MV) def. Katie Neumeyer, 6-4, 6-4; Nina Marquardt (CRX) def. Mallory Scieszinski, 6-4, 4-6, 11-9; Megan D'mello (CRX) def. Isabella Logan, 6-0, 6-0; Emily Jasper (CRX) def. Josie Vandersall, 6-4, 6-4; Ellie Detweiler (CRX) def. Brittney Darrow, 6-1, 6-3; Maddie Abu-Nameh (CRX) def. Katie Wycoff, 6-2, 6-3

CLASS 2A

At C.R. Prairie

C.R. Prairie 5, Waterloo East 0

Singles —

Vale Caro (CRP) def. Ashley Woods, 6-0, 6-0; Magui Caro (CRP) def. Noely Sibrian, 6-0, 6-0; Karleigh Schilling (CRP) def. Alissa Huffman, 6-0, 6-0; Anna Postnikov (CRP) def. Elvina Ibricic, 6-0, 6-0; Lauren O'Brian (CRP) def. Lesly Inarrito, 6-0, 6-0; Maddie Renner (CRP) def. Ayah Al-Durazi, 6-0, 6-0.

At C.R. Washington

C.R. Washington 5, Muscatine 2

Singles —

Hannah Sherman (CRW) def. Anna Garvin, 6-4, 6-1; Kelly King (CRW) def. Melissa Burzlaff, 6-2, 6-1; Eliza Sundermann (CRW) def. Sarah Zobel, 6-1, 6-0; Elizabeth Cahill (M) def. Abby Van Metre, 6-4, 6-2; Sarah Spellman (M) def. Kayti Schuler, 7-6, 6-4; Stephanie Kapler (CRW) def. Emma Maynard, 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles — Sherman/King (CRW) def. Garvin/Zobel, 6-0, 6-0.

At Waterloo

C.R. Jefferson 5, Waterloo West 1

Singles —

Yassie Buchanan (WW) def. Maddie Slagle, 6-2, 4-6, 4-10; Emma Lassen (CRJ) def. Minela Ikanovic, 6-2, 5-7, 10-7; Alexis Johnson (CRJ) def. Maggie Smith, 6-2, 6-1; Ashley Davidson (CRJ) def. Alyson Hurley, 6-2, 6-3; Raquel Wilhelm (CRJ) def. Meredith Eignme, 6-0, 6-1; Cameron Cox (CRJ) def. Regan Davis, 6-3, 7-6 (8).

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