Marshalltown girls tennis unable to advance from regional singles and doubles tournament
Just two weeks earlier, Marshalltown junior Kate Sandvick was defeated in a preview glimpse into her regional singles draw.
On Wednesday, she nearly flipped the script.
Sandvick suffered a three-set loss to Des Moines Roosevelt senior Scarlett Brown on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Class 2A Region 5 singles bracket, falling one set short of Marshalltown’s first state singles qualification since 2010.
Brown, who beat back Sandvick 6-3, 6-2 in their regular-season meeting Sept. 2 in Des Moines, had to outlast a better version of the same Bobcat on Wednesday on the indoor tennis courts at Life Time Des Moines.
Brown advanced 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, before falling to Dubuque Senior’s Madeline Bellomy, 6-0, 6-2, in the regional finals.
Sandvick (12-3) snapped back to sweep her third-place match over Urbandale’s Timber Negley, 6-0, 6-0, and will serve as the state alternate in the event either Bellomy or Brown can’t compete in the Oct. 1-2 individual tennis tournament at Byrnes Park Tennis Center in Waterloo.
Having teamed with Kennedy Feldman as half of Marshalltown’s state doubles qualifier back on May 30, Sandvick wasn’t overwhelmed by the opportunity to become the Bobcats’ first state singles qualifier in 15 years.
“I think this time I went in with a better mindset,” Sandvick said of Wednesday’s rematch with Brown. “The last time I was like ‘she’s really good, I don’t think I’m as good as her,’ and this time I went in with a ‘I’ve got this’ mindset; more confidence.
“I felt pretty good. I wish in the end I would have won the third set, but I’m not mad at myself. I’m pretty proud, actually, since tennis isn’t my main sport. It was good especially after how I lost the last time against her”
Marshalltown was the host of the Region 5 individual regionals before rain forced the tournament to travel to find indoor accommodations. Sandvick and her fellow Bobcat competitors each got to play on their home venue at least once on Wednesday before inclement weather moved in.
Seeded third, Sandvick got a first-round bye before bouncing Urbandale’s Sydney White, 6-2, 6-2 in the singles quarterfinals at the Marshalltown Court Complex.
“Not going to state’s a little disappointing but I’m proud of myself at the way I bounced back after losing to Scarlett and beat the Urbandale girl (Negley).”
MHS senior Ellie Downs was defeated by Negley, 6-3, 6-0, in the round of 16.
“Ellie ended up having a really tough draw,” said MHS head coach James Christensen. “She played against the girl that ended up getting fourth place.”
Downs was the No. 6 singles player for the Bobcats just four months ago during the spring season, but grand losses to graduation moved her up the lineup card a long way. In the inaugural fall campaign, Downs moved to Marshalltown’s No. 2 singles spot and settled with a 4-12 individual record after Wednesday’s defeat.
“Ellie has had a bit of an up-and-down season for us, but we know whenever she goes out there she’s going to give it her best,” said Christensen, “and she did so today.
“Having to jump from No. 6 to 2, Ellie never complained about having to play No. 2 for us. She ended up having a tough draw pretty much the whole year and she took that and got some wins for us.”
Marshalltown’s No. 2 doubles tandem of seniors Jorja Janssen and Lilyia Christen (8-7) were unable to capture a victory in their regional bracket, falling in a three-set heartbreaker, 3-6, 6-2, (10-7), to Des Moines Roosevelt’s Talia Bruning and Dinah Vance.
“They came out on fire, played really well and then had it slip out of their grasp,” Christensen said. “They’ve been to a ton of super-tiebreakers this year, they’re great competitors and for them to jump in as seniors and be in that position to help us was huge. They’ve been great teammates for us this whole year.”
MHS juniors Kaelyn Coleman and Hanna Osgood got the only round of 16 victory for the Bobcats on the day, beating Roosevelt’s Charlotte Kelderman and Viviann Jacobs 6-1, 6-3, to advance to the quarterfinals.
Coleman and Osgood had their run cut down in the quarterfinals, falling to Urbandale’s Gwendalyn Venteicher and Melisa Kazazic, 6-3, 6-0.
“It was awesome to see Kaelyn and Hanna come out with a victory against Roosevelt the first round,” Christensen said. “Getting that first victory in a postseason match is huge. It’ll be great for their confidence going forward.
“They gave Urbandale a scare, but ultimately Urbandale was just a better team today.”
The Bobcats (8-7) will host their first-round match in the 2A Region 2 team tournament, entertaining Iowa City Liberty (4-9) on Saturday at 10 a.m. The winner advances to face Ankeny Centennial on Sept. 24 in the regional semifinals.
“It’s going to be a tough matchup for sure,” Christensen said. “Liberty is 4-9 on the year but they have an absolutely brutal schedule in the Mississippi Valley Conference. “It’s tough to tell exactly how good they are, but I know our girls will be ready to compete and hope to be able to make it to next week.”
