Lady Bulldogs split duals with Hamilton, Corvallis

The Lady Dogs split a pair of duals and gave a solid showing at the Bitterroot Invitational over the weekend.

The team took down Hamilton but fell to Corvallis on Friday, both by scores of 5-2.

Against Hamilton, Gracie Smyley and Anyah Cripe picked up wins on the singles side, while all three doubles teams won.

Smyley and Aubrey Hanks won the lone matches against Corvallis at the No. 1 and 2 singles spots.

The team was trying out some different configurations in their lineup due to the absence of key players like Olivia Potthoff and Claire Carloss, head coach Patrick Dryden said.

Smyley went 4-0 on the weekend, as did Hanks, who played both doubles and singles.

“She looked really good,” Dryden said of Smyley. “She’s very strong, powerful. She is very intelligent player. She knows what she’s doing out there.”

Jesse Grawunder picked up a lot of slack as well, playing doubles against Hamilton and switching to singles against Corvallis.

Dryden said Grawunder impressed him and gave him options as to how to set his lineup when the postseason begins in a couple weeks.

“That’s going to leave me with a tough decision come tournament time, whether I’m going to put her in singles or doubles,” he said.

The Lady Dogs have a full weekend of tennis ahead of them, and some clear skies compared to the weather they’ve been dealt so far this season.

On Friday they’ll take on Polson and Flathead at the Flathead Valley Community College courts at 1 p.m.

Then on Saturday they’ll host Ronan at 10 a.m. and Libby at 3 p.m.

Dryden said right now he’s feeling good with where his team is at. The Northwest A District Tournament starts in two weeks.

“I think we’re a little ahead of where we were last year talent wise, but it’s a very impressive year. I’ve never seen our division stronger on the singles side,” he said. “For singles play, we’re going to focus on getting to the net and defeating an opponent there. For doubles, we’ve been doing a lot of drills the last week or two, and now we need to start working on our strategy.”

Whitefish 5, Hamilton 2

SINGLES — Gracie Smyley, W, def. Eliana Foss 6-2, 6-2; Marcie Wardecka, H, def. Lauren Brown 6-2, 7-5; Savanna Gurney, H, def. Emma Shaffer 6-2, 4-6, 10-8; Anyah Cripe, W, def. Gracie Hawkes 6-4, 6-4.

DOUBLES — Aubrey Hanks/Jesse Grawunder, W, def. Holly Mahon 7-6, 6-2; Payton Kastalla/Abigail Shaffer, W, def. Lauren Kimzey/Claire Matthews 6-3, 6-3; Ali Hirsch/Mia Mendoza, W, def. Maria Kanenwisher/ Brynn Lehtola 6-3, 6-3.

Corvallis 5, Whitefish 2

SINGLES — Gracie Smyley W def. Madeline De-Leo C 6-0, 6-2; Aubrey Hanks W def. Jennifer Watt C 6-1, 6-1; Shae Flynn C def. Jesse Grawander W 7-5, 3-6, 10-8; Presley Zimmerman C def. Lauren Brown W 4-6, 6-2, 10-8,

DOUBLES — Christina Weidkamp/Megan Kirkland C def. Payton Kastella/Abigail Shaffer W 6-0, 6-3; Cecily Gerber/Danielle Coates C def. Mia Mendoza/Ali Hirsch W 7-6 (5), 6-0; Molly Powell/Bailey Jessop C def. Anyah Cripe/Emma Shaffer W 6-3, 6-2.