Lady Pirates ride doubles wins to team championship crown

By Trent Makela/Leader Staff

It came down to the two best doubles teams in Class A tennis … every day the Lady Pirates practiced this year.

The Polson High School girls' tennis team flexed their doubles muscles, making the championship pairing an all-Polson grudge match and winning the team title along the way at the Class A state tournament.

Polson did not qualify a singles player for the tournament, but used three doubles teams to give coach Bob Hislop his first state title as the team's skipper.

"I've been doing this for 17 years and to finally get a championship with my daughter on the team is really special to me," Bob Hislop said. "These kids were so willing to listen to us coaches. They kept their eyes on the big prize and did what they did because they're a special group."

Divisional champions Cali Hislop and Malika Erickson again came away victorious in a familiar and always-close championship match against teammates Mattea York and Maddie Grebetz in the final. The two teams needed three sets to decide the champion, though, with Hislop and Erickson pulling away in the weekend's closest match for either team, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Bob Hislop said both teams were excited about the championship as the match started, but the competitiveness made things increasingly awkward for him as the match wore on.

"It was so competitive that I knew it was going to be so disappointing for the team that had to lose," Bob Hislop said. "Mattea and Maddie were broken-hearted and Cali and Malika had a tough time enjoying it after beating their teammates. Having them play each other and winning the trophy made it easier for us coaches, though, ahead of time."

Hislop and Erickson breezed through the first round and semifinals, but faced tough match in the quarterfinals against Livingston's Mollie Morrow and Hanna Barney. The Polson pair eeked out a 7-5 first set, but lost the first three games of the second. They bounced back for six straight, though, eventually winning the set 6-3 to move on.

York and Grebetz also coasted through the first round and semifinals, facing their toughest opponents in the quarterfinals. The pair needed three sets to down Billings Central's Katie Dahlin and Cathy Muskett, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

Polson's third doubles team, Cassie Ward and Kayla Rochin, picked up a tough opening round loss to Livingston's Mollie Morrow and Hanna Barney 6-2, 6-2.

"I'm sure they didn't feel like they were contributors after losing out. Getting to state was a huge deal for them, though," Bob Hislop said. "They battled in both their matches and came up barely short in the second. They did what we needed them to do and represented us really well. Kayla will be a great player for us for the next two years."

Erickson, York, Grebetz and Ward will all graduate as seniors.

"These were really smart girls and top-end students who were mature kids. They were very athletic, too, of course," Bob Hislop said. "They came to the cold practices with no excuses. A couple of them had work and one is a mother, but they didn't give us problem one."

The Lady Pirates were scheduled to win their title on the school's home courts, but a rain-shortened schedule on Thursday moved the tournament's remaining matches to the Flathead Valley Community College and Glacier Tennis Club in Kalispell.

Class A state tournament

Polson/Kalispell

Team scores: Polson 29, Livingston 22, Billings Central 19, Havre 19, Whitefish 8, Dillon 7, Glendive 4, Lewsitown 4, Libby 4, Corvallis 3, Miles City 3, Hamilton 2, Columbia Falls 1, Ronan 1, Bigfork 0

Doubles

Championship - Cali Hislop/Malika Erickson, Pol, def. Mattea York/Maddie Grebetz, Pol, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Semifinals - York/Grebetz def. Braine/Jimmerson, 6-3, 6-1; Hislop/Erickson def. Morrow/Barney, 7-5, 6-3.

Quarterfinals - York/Grebetz def. Dahlin/ Muskett, 4-6, 7-6(7-3), 6-2; Hislop/Erickson def. Jura/Smith 6-1, 6-3.

First round - Mattea York/Maddy Grebetz, Pol, def. Haley Donovan/Courtney Kinholt, Hav, 6-1, 6-0; Cali Hislop/Malika Erickson, Pol, def. Jolee Landgraf/Morgan McCann, Hav, 6-0, 6-1; Mollie Morrow/Hanna Barney, Liv, def. Cassie Ward/Kayla Rochin, Pol, 6-2, 6-2