Austin Packers girls’ tennis nips Mankato East 4-3 Tuesday

The Austin Packers girls’ tennis team was home Tuesday for a Big 9 dual meet with the Mankato East/Loyola Cougars, and a win for Jenna Hetzel in her first varsity match at No. 4 singles in a three-set thriller to life the Packers to an exciting 4-3 win.

Austin wound up sweeping the four singles matches to earn the win, as Gracie Schmitt at No. 1 singles blew past Baylee Knott of Mankato East/Loyola 6-0, 6-0, Kaitlin Meiergerg at No. 2 singles won in straight sets over Brynja Flitter of the Cougars 6-1, 6-0, Riley Hetzel at No. 3 singles fell in the first set to Mylie Gleason of Mankato East/Loyola 6,3, but Hetzel rallied to take the next two sets 6-4 and 6-0 to earn the Packers a team point, and Jenna Hetzel at No. 4 singles took the first set from Kalea Homich of the Cougars, 6-4, only to see Homich rally to take the second set 7-6 before rallying back to take the third and deciding set 6-3.  Mankato East/Loyola swept the three doubles matches, two of them in straight sets, but Austin’s Abby VanPelt and Katie VanPelt took the first set from Peyton Stevermer and Addi Wassman of the Cougars at No. 2 doubles 7-5, only to see Stevermer and Wassman win the next two sets 7-5 and 6-3 to pick up the win.

Austin returns to action Thursday afternoon in Northfield versus the Raiders Thursday afternoon, with the varsity action set to start at 4:45p.m.

Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS) – 3, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH – 4,

Singles:
No. 1 – Gracie Schmitt, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH def. Baylee Knott, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS), 6-0 , 6-0 , -;
No. 2 – Kaitlin Meiergerd, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH def. Brynja Flitter, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS), 6-1 , 6-0 , -;
No. 3 – Riley Hetzel, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH def. Mylie Gleason, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS), 3-6 , 6-4 , 6-0 ;
No. 4 – Jenna Hetzel, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH def. Kalea Homich, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS), 6-4 , 6-7 , 6-3 ;

Doubles:
No. 1 – Sydney Jacobs, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS) – Tiegen Richards, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS) def. Samantha Krueger, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH – Emma Haugen, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH, 6-3 , 6-3 , -;
No. 2 – Peyton Stevermer, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS) – Addi Wassman, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS) def. Abby VanPelt, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH – Katie VanPelt, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH, 5-7 , 7-5 , 6-3 ;
No. 3 – Hannah Westman, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS) – Ashlyn Leddy, Mankato East/Loyola Co-Op (GIRLS) def. Aunica Groh, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH – Kaitlyn Riskedahl, AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH, 6-4 , 6-2 , -;