Kathryn Wilson
After all of their girls played three matches against ranked opponents in Saturday’s Park Tudor Invitational, Columbus North had a little bit of a breather Monday against Oldenburg Academy.
The ninth-ranked Bull Dogs cruised to four easy wins in posting a 4-1 victory.
“I’m really sore from Saturday, so it was good to get out here and play my game and have it be not as competitive, but still a good match,” sophomore Aya Saad said.
Saad blanked Evie Vanderpohl 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. Senior Kathryn Wilson blanked Isabelle Price 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.
Aya Saad
“I like playing matches,” Wilson said. “I think it’s good practice, and I’m glad that we got to come out here and play, even if it wasn’t as good competition as Saturday. It was still fun to play matches.”
Wilson was the only North player to go 3-0 and win her division on Saturday, when she led the Bull Dogs to a fourth-place team finish. She remains unbeaten at No. 1 singles this season.
“It was exciting,” Wilson said. “I haven’t played that many really good people so far in high school, so it was fun to have good competition and play good girls and be able to win.”
On Monday, Annabelle Sun beat Mary Hunter 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles, and Siri Poludasu and Nino Akhayla topped Erin Back and Ashley Hunter 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles for the Bull Dogs (9-1). Lucy Bergman and Grace Conner fell to Mimi Wilder and Evelyn Storms 7-6 (2), 7-5
“No. 1 and 2 singles did their job like they always do, and at 3 singles and 2 doubles, they took control, and I thought they played very nicely in setting up points and putting balls away,” North coach Kendal Hammel said. “No. 1 doubles in their loss, they played a nice match. They’re coming around. Our doubles are the spot we’ve been trying to get stronger and stronger on as the year progresses, and I feel like we’re doing that.”
Hammel shuffled his doubles and No. 3 singles players following a 3-2 loss at Bloomington North. Those two teams likely will meet again in the regional.
“I was thinking a little bit more about a strength situation,” Hammel said. “We have done some changing, and so far, we’ve liked what we’ve seen.”
The Bull Dogs visit Kentucky power North Oldham today, so Hammel was happy his team did not have a letdown on Monday.
“I thought we played really well today coming back from this weekend and playing really a lot of tough competition,” Hammel said. “We wanted to not come in here a little lazy and a little sloppy, and we didn’t. Every match, they’re stepping up and doing what they need to do.”
