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The Luverne Cardinal boys’ tennis team hosted two teams from South Dakota this past week.
LHS had little trouble defeating Madison on April 12 before falling to a strong Sioux Falls Lincoln team on Monday.
The Cardinals, now 4-1 on the season, have a busy week ahead.
Luverne is scheduled to host Blue Earth on Thursday before hosting both Yellow Medicine East (10 a.m.) and Montevideo (1 p.m.) in separate meets on Saturday.
LHS is then scheduled to travel to Fairmont on Monday and to Worthington on Thursday, April 28.
Luverne 7, Madison 0
The Luverne Cardinals enjoyed a quick, lopsided victory over the Madison, South Dakota, Bulldogs when the two teams met in Luverne on Tuesday, April 12.
The Cardinals swept their guests 7-0, winning each of the seven scored matchups in two sets each.
“Madison was a very young team,” said Lucas Larson, LHS head coach.
“Even though it was not the most competitive meet we will have this year, it was a good chance for players to be out on the court early in the season,” Larson said.
At No. 1 singles, Pierce Cunningham won 6-2, 6-1. Griffen Jarchow swept his opponent 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.
At No. 3 singles, Blake Frahm won 6-3, 6-2 and Ethan Nath came out on top 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4 singles.
In doubles play, Logan Ommen and Chance Tunnissen swept the No. 1 match 6-0, 6-0.
At No. 2 doubles, Kyle Ferguson and Jase Arp won 6-2, 6-0, and at No. 3 doubles Luke Bosch and Levi Thielbar came out on top 6-0, 6-1.
Sioux Falls Lincoln 5, Luverne 2
Luverne suffered its first loss of the season when Sioux Falls Lincoln came to town to play in cold, windy conditions on Monday.
The Patriots defeated the Cardinals 5-2.
“Although neither team had their strongest roster playing, it was a good match for our team,” said Larson.
“Playing the perennial South Dakota state champions is a tremendous experience for early in the season and I thought we battled hard in less-than-ideal conditions,” Larson said. “It felt like we were playing tennis in the ice arena.”
Luverne’s Cunningham earned the lone singles win of the match for the Cardinals at No. 1 singles, defeating his oppenent 6-1, 6-2.
At No. 2 singles, Frahm lost 6-3, 6-7. Ethan Nath came up short at No. 3 singles 6-0, 6-4 and Spencer Kracht, playing at No. 4 singles, was defeated 6-1, 6-0.
The LHS doubles team of Logan Ommen and Chance Tunnissen earned their team’s win in doubles when they defeated their opponents 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 in the No. 1 slot.
Kyle Ferguson and Jase Arp were defeated 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 doubles and Luke Bosch and Levi Thielbar lost 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 doubles.