Tennis: Tiger girls pick up monumental win

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The match began with a couple of shockers and ended with a huge shocker.


Douglas High's Amelia Ritger saw her 70-match unbeaten streak in Northern Nevada come to an end in the first round Thursday afternoon, falling 7-5 to Galena's Mica Olson in Reno.


The Tigers came back to pull off one of the biggest team wins in the tennis program's history, however, beating the two-time defending regional champion Grizzlies 11-7.


"It was a great team effort to defeat the two-time defending regional champions," Douglas coach Roger Rusmisel said. "They knocked off a powerhouse Reno team 10-8 on Tuesday. The hard work our girls put in during the offseason is really paying off.


"Amelia had her streak broken in the first round against a very good player, so now she can just concentrate on repeating as zone champion."


Douglas senior Cesarina Ceglia pulled off a monumental upset of her own, handing Galena's Hannah Llop her first-ever Sierra League loss 7-6 (7-4) in the first round.


Freshman Kari TenBroeck came back the following round to defeat Llop 7-5 and Ritger beat Llop 6-2 in the third round.


"Cesarina helped wear her (Llop) down for her teammates," Rusmisel said. "All three of the girls battled back from behind to defeat the two-time zone finalist."


All three Tiger singles players posted a pair of wins on the day, but it was the Douglas doubles squads that clinched the team victory, going a combined 5-4 on the day.


The teams of Jamie Lundergreen/Linsey Glass and sisters Sarah and Emily Weaver each picked up a pair of wins and Katie Sawicki and Susie White had a key first-round win.


"Jamie Lundergreen and Linsey Glass and the Weaver sisters also battled through, with their only loss coming to the team of Lindy Deller and Emily McClintock," Rusmisel said. "Deller and her now-graduated partner won zone the last two years and McClintock and her partner finished third in zone and went to state last year."