Lady Pirates finish season 18-1

WHITEFISH — Finishing the week with two more big wins, 6-1 over Whitefish and 7-0 over Bigfork, the Lady Pirates will go to divisionals behind an 18-1 season record and a sky’s-the-limit attitude - all of those wins without top hitter, senior Cali Hislop, out for the entire season with a basketball injury.

“Girls capped off a surprising and amazing season,” Polson head coach Bob Hislop said. “The girls really stepped up after Cali’s injury and have made themselves one of the better dual teams I have coached in the 18 years at Polson.”

Even though junior Jane Probst wasn’t at the top of her game this past weekend, the No. 1 singles player finished an epic battle against Bigfork’s Jade Bosic to complete a shutout of Bigfork.

The first set of the battle was a preview of the kind of match it was going to be - long.

Probst won the first segment in a 7-6 tiebreak. She lost the next one in another tiebreak by the same score. Finding herself down 0-3 in the final stanza, she rallied back to finish things 6-4.

The match took over three hours, one of the longest Bob has coached in his career.

And then there were the Rochin sisters, soundly finishing off their doubles opponents at the top of the ladder to complete an undefeated regular season in conference play. Junior Kayla and sophomore Kendyall Rochin defeated Whitefish’s best dual opponents 6-2, 7-5 and took down Bigfork 6-3, 6-2.

“I still don’t think they have played anywhere near their best match,” Bob said.

There will be plenty of opportunities for that come tournament time, just around the corner.

Playing some of their best tennis in the final weekend were Lady Pirates Lexi Cline at the No. 2 singles spot and the No. 2 doubles pair  of Heather Mathison and Kelsie Jones.

“Lexi has a very legitimate shot at going to state in singles. Heather and Kelsie beat two of the best No. 2 teams in the conference handily and are capable of beating many of the No. 1 teams,” Bob said.

The Pirate boys rebounded from a brutal 6-1 fall at Whitefish to take down Bigfork 4-3.

Senior Tyler Engebretson and Stefan McCrumb embodied the team’s transition, falling hard 6-1, 6-4 against Whitefish’s top doubles pair then springing back up for a 7-5, 6-2 winning performance against Bigfork.

Senior Kyle Cooper and junior Shad Giles kept their rackets on cue with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Whitefish and a 6-1, 7-5 win over Bigfork at the No. 2 doubles position.

The effort leaves the pair seeded No. 1 in their place on the ladder going into the divisional tournament.

The Divisonal tournament begins on Thursday with singles matches. Championships are held on Saturday.

Girls singles takes place at Glacier Tennis and all other matches take place at Flathead Valley Community College.