Austin Packers girls tennis goes 1-1 in home triangular versus Owatonna, Faribault

The Austin Packers girls tennis team opened the home portion of their 2022 season with a Big 9 Conference triangular versus Owatonna and Faribault at the Wescott Athletic Complex Thursday afternoon, and it was the Packers falling to the Huskies 6-1 in their first match, but Austin rebounded to knock off the Falcons in their second match 4-3.

In their first match of the day versus Owatonna, the lone point for Austin was provided by the No. 2 doubles team of  Kaitlyn Riskedahl and Ella Nack, who outlasted Amelia Shives and Hannah Nelson of Owatonna in three sets 7-6 (5), 1-6 and 10-6.  In the second match of the day versus Faribault, a sweep for Austin in the three doubles matches helped to propel them to a victory, as Jenna Hetzel and Seanna Kubas at No. 1 doubles downed Gabbie Temple and Anika Sterling of Faribault in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, with the win being the first for Kubas at the varsity level.  Kaitlyn Riskedahl and Ella Nack of the Packers were again victorious as they downed Whitney Huberty and Beata Christianson of the Falcons 6-3, 6-1 and Vida Curtis and Meryl Kolimedje of Austin blew past Isabella Anderson and Isabella Pankonin of Faribault in straight sets 6-1, 6-1, with Kolimedje earning her first win at the varsity level for the Packers. Gracie Schmitt provided the other point in the win for Austin as she was a winner at No. 1 singles in a 6-0, 6-1 straight-sets win over Lindsay Rauenhorst of the Falcons.

Austin is 1-3 on the young season, and the Packers return to action Saturday at the Wescott Athletic Complex versus Farmington, with the action scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m.