Bulldog netters remain tough

RONAN — In no easy week of tennis, the Mission boys went down 5-1 to a talented Corvallis squad and 5-1 to Troy, but came up with a big 6-0 shutout over Ronan. The Mission girls tied the Trojans and came out just ahead of the Maidens, 4-3.

Playing the Corvallis boys was no accident, Mission head coach Kimimi Ashley said.

“I purposely picked Corvallis as a team to play because I read in the newspaper that they were the team to beat in their class-A division this year. They have lived up to that title in pretty much trouncing their opponents this year. It was good for our boys to see that level of play and realize they can play against them. Even the Corvallis coach was commenting on the level of play in our boys. The scores don’t especially show how well some of them actually did,” she said.

Spencer Ahlborn forced three sets with a tiebreaker at the No. 3 spot, a score that was convincing. And the combination of Mission seniors Clayton Makepeace and Wyatt McCollum snagged a doubles win at No. 2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0. The pair also competed at the top two singles spots against the Blue Devils.

Against Troy, the boys rolled to an easy 5-1 win with all three singles wins going to Mission. Ronan was a similar story - the Mission boys didn’t lose a set against the team from across the valley. Bryan Schock put together a nice week for Mission, Ashley said.

“Bryan works very hard and goes out there and just plays tennis. He doesn’t do any head games or anything. Very proud of the way he composed himself mentally this year,” she said.

Schock escaped his first set against Ronan’s Spencer Sucha in a tiebreak then finished his opponent off 6-0 in the second set.

The girls took the top two spots at singles over Ronan with wins from Jane Makepeace and Yasmine ElMenshawy, but the Maidens came ahead in No. 3 and No. 4.

Mission also took the first and fourth singles spots but lost the middle matches. Ashley’s top Lady Bulldogs have improved to be able to get those kind of wins.

“Jane Makepeace and Yasmine ElMenshawy have come on strong in the latter half of the year. They have been doing well all along, but they are just not willing to give up their games these days,” Ashley said.

Both girls took wins against Troy at the same singles spots. Jane won her match 8-3 and ElMenshawy finished 8-2. The doubles combo of Anna Fehrs and Sarah Bowers won 8-4 against Troy, and 6-1, 6-1 against Ronan, a good change in the lineup, Ashley said.

“They have been playing well together and working on their focus throughout the whole game. We are looking for them to get us some much needed points at tournament play and possibly bring home a girls trophy with the help of the rest of the girls,” she said.

The Mission girls play at 9 a.m. at the Best of the West tournament at the UM tennis courts. The boys play at 9 a.m. at the Loyola Boys Invitational at Playfair Park in Missoula.