With an 11-0 sweep, the Marshalltown girls’ tennis team improved to 11-0.
The Bobcats remained unbeaten this season with Tuesday’s triumph over Mason City, collecting the Iowa Alliance Conference regular-season title thanks to their third-straight 11-0 victory.
“It was another great day for the Bobcats as all played well up and down the lineup,” said MHS head coach John Fiscus.
Due to the threat of wet weather, the two conference foes played pro sets, and Marshalltown was the first to eight (or nine) in each match. In the most contested bout of the dual, Bobcat senior Claire Bohan bested Kaitlyn Thangaraj at No. 4 singles, 9-7, in the first-to-eight, win-by-two format.
Rebekah Downs, Kennedy Feldman, Ava Lucas, Lily Zahnd and Halie Hohnstein scored the other five singles wins to secure the dual meet victory and a perfect 3-0 performance in Iowa Alliance Conference play.
Hohstein won all eight games against Claire Sampson at No. 6, while Zahnd was an 8-1 victor at No. 5. Downs and Lucas logged 8-2 triumphs, while Feldman fought to an 8-5 win at No. 2.
Downs and Feldman continued their tear this season, sweeping their way past Olivia Wickman and Annora Lewerke, 8-0, in the No. 1 singles contest. All five Bobcat doubles wins were by 8-3 margins or better, including an 8-3 victory for Ellie Hughes and Rachel Jones at No. 4 doubles.
“Ellie Hughes and Rachel Jones are dominant at No. 4 doubles as they have never lost a match all three years while on the team,” Fiscus said. “Our depth is our strength during the season. It will get tougher when we go down to just six players in regionals.”
The Bobcats are at home Thursday against Des Moines East and then visit the Ankeny Tennis Center for a Friday morning tournament including Ankeny, Norwalk and Southeast Polk.
Marshalltown 11, Mason City 0
SINGLES
Rebekah Downs (MHS) def. Olivia Wickman, 8-2
Kennedy Feldman (MHS) def. Tamar Lewerke, 8-5
Ava Lucas (MHS) def. Annora Lewerke, 8-2
Claire Bohan (MHS) def. Kaitlyn Thangaraj, 9-7
Lily Zahnd (MHS) def. Estella Huesman, 8-1
Halie Hohnstein (MHS) def. Claire Sampson, 8-0
DOUBLES
Downs and Feldman (MHS) def. Wickman and A. Lewerke, 8-0
Lucas and Bohan (MHS) def. T. Lewerke and Huesman, 8-2
Zahnd and Hohnstein (MHS) def. Addison Dannen and Lily Clausen, 8-2
Ellie Hughes and Rachel Jones (MHS) def. Paige Dickinson and Grace Onder, 8-3
Callie Swanson and Kate Hauser (MHS) def. Avery Fiser and Ava Clausen, 8-2