Litchfield’s Isla Dille and Olivia Olson opened the Section 6A tennis tournament with a pair of wins, but needed two more to qualify for the state tournament.
The Dragons duo were scheduled to play in the section semifinals Tuesday at Rogers Tennis Center, after the Independent Review went to press. A win there would put Olson and Dille in the championship match, which was scheduled for later Tuesday. (Check www.independentreview.net for updates.)
Dille, a freshman, spent this season as the Dragons’ No. 1 singles player. Olson, meanwhile, played all season at No. 1 doubles. For the individual postseason, however, they brought their talents together. And it paid dividends.
Seeded third in the doubles tournament, Olson and Dille opened with a 6-0, 6-0 win over 16-seeded Arlene Tensen and Grace Berndt of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa.
They continued with a 6-1, 6-1 win over the New London-Spicer team of Jadyn Proehl and Brianna Wileman in the quarterfinals.
That set up a showdown with top-seeded Madeline Anderson and Lauren Anderson of Osakis Tuesday.
Litchfield had four other players competing in the Section 6A individual tournament, a doubles team and two singles players.
Maya Wuotila and Emma Knudsen were seeded fourth for the doubles tournament, but were knocked out by Osakis duo Brenna Moen and Bella Weisser by a 6-1, 6-3 score in the round of 16. Wuotila spent most of this season at No. 2 singles, while Knudsen had been paired with Olson at No. 1 doubles all season.
The singles tournament saw Litchfield’s age and youth served.
Senior Kendra Ball , seeded eighth, won her opening-round match over Sauk Centre’s Abbie Masog 7-6, 6-1, but she bowed out of the tournament with a loss to top-seeded Leah Maddock of Osakis 6-2, 6-1.
Eighth-grader Emma Wuotila was seeded 10th in singles and wound up eliminated in the first round with a loss to Minnewaska’s Rachel Rankin, the No. 7 seed. Final score was 6-1, 6-3.
