Whitefish girls tennis has best dual season in program history

The Whitefish girls tennis team finished out an undefeated dual season with a bang last week. They added five dual victories – all at home – in one week to bring their record to a perfect 15-0.  

In 2022, the Whitefish girls tennis team achieved a remarkable feat by going 14-0, which was the first and only time the girls went undefeated, until this year. 

The team then had 11 seniors and has been building back up since then.  

This year’s team, by comparison, is young, with only three seniors on the roster.  

Six players have led the charge by not missing a single match all year: juniors Camry Kelch, Aubrey Talbot and Ainsley Grubb, sophomore Leisl Brust, and freshmen Allie Shors and Emy Hanson. Four other girls filled out the varsity roster to get it done.  

Shors and Hanson were wild cards rising, as it wasn’t even sure if they would be on the varsity squad at first.  

This week brings a highly anticipated transition in the season as the team heads off to Libby for the Northwest A Divisional tournament.  

Coach Pat Dryden said the division is “extremely competitive,” with all five schools bringing solid state contenders.  

Some of Whitefish’s third and fourth best players will face other school’s first and second players.

“We’ve got to keep the same mindset,” he said. “That’s my message to the team: don’t do anything differently. Full steam ahead.”  

The goal will be to qualify as many players for state as possible, to give them that experience at the higher level, Dryden said.  

The team has had good luck with the weather thus far and even got a jump in the season in the beginning when the courts were clear and open earlier than usual.  

There could be some adversity this week as spring drizzles return, though.  

The team will head to Libby on Wednesday, with competition Thursday and Friday, possibly extending to Saturday pending any rain delays.

May 6: Whitefish girls 6, Columbia Falls 1 

SINGLES: Liesl Brust, Whitefish, def. Bailey Windauer 6-2, 6-1; Emy Hansen, Whitefish, def. Ella Heppner 7-5, 6-4; Ainsley Grubb, Whitefish, def. Fiona Bryant 7-5, 6-1; Allie Shors, Whitefish, def. Apani Awua 6-0, 6-1.  

DOUBLES: Camry Kelch/Maggie Mercer, Whitefish, def. Alanis Petersen/Ailyah Arends 6-1, 6-3; Zoey Marzo/Aubrey Mercer, Whitefish, def. Lucie Love/Madi Yerian 6-3, 6-2; Ava Scholz/Campbell LaCasse, Columbia Falls, def. Delila Vine/Lucy Marzo 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. 

May 8: Whitefish girls 5, Bigfork 0  

SINGLES — Liesl Brust, Whitefish def. Cassy Schlicht 6-4, 6-4; Zoey Marzo, Whitefish def. Tatum Holman 6-4, 7-5; Aubrey Talbot, Whitefish def. Regan Waller 6-4, 6-0.  

DOUBLES — Camry Kelch and Maggie Mercer, Whitefish def. Payton Despain and Gwenna Lustig 6-1, 6-0; Emy Hansen and Allie Shors, Whitefish def. Grace Holtmeyer and Amanda Leonard 6-4, 6-1.   

May 8: Whitefish girls 5, Polson 2 

SINGLES — Summer Newman, Polson def. Liesl Brust 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-1; Allie Shors, Whitefish def. Baily Lemm 6-2, 6-1; Emy Hansen, Whitefish def. Maddie Lake 6-0, 6-0; Ainsley Grubb, Whitefish def. Johanna Bieber 6-0, 6-0.  

DOUBLES — Camry Kelch and Maggie Mercer, Whitefish def. Josie Henriksen and Vivian Grainey 6-0, 6-0; Hinkley Moss and Greta Lund, Polson def. Zoey Marzon and Aubrey Talbot 6-4, 7-5; Lucy Marzo and Sophie McCreedy, Whitefish def. Karly Smith and Alexa Kinamann 6-0, 6-2.  

May 10: Whitefish girls 6, Corvallis 1  

SINGLES — Liesl Brust, Whitefish def. Ava Wilcox 6-1. 6-1; Allie Shors, Whitefish def. Jakay Venema 6-1, 6-4; Emy Hensen, Whitefish def. Lottie Jessop 6-1, 6-1; Lizzy Holien, Whitefish def. Sara Jessop 6-4, 6-2.  

DOUBLES — Brooke Child and Clara Tarracido, Corvallis def. Aubrey Talbot and Zoey Marzo 7-5, 7-6 (3); Camry Kelch and Ainsley Grubb, Whitefish def. Kenley Jessop and Olivia Lawson 6-3, 6-2; Sophie McCreedy and Lucy Marzo, Whitefish def. Kylie DeBuff and Jennifer Jessop 6-0, 6-1.  

May 10: Whitefish girls 5, Hamilton 2  

SINGLES — Ciara Hanley, Hamilton def. Liesl Brust 6-2, 6-2; Ainsley Grubb, Whitefish def. Alexis Anson 6-0, 6-0; Gretel Vine, Whitefish def. Ellie Hughes 6-2, 6-0; Kari Hattlestad, Hamilton def. Dessi Young 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (2).  

DOUBLES — Aubrey Talbot and Zoey Marzo, Whitefish def. Charlie Holmes and Tessa Lewanski 6-2, 6-4; Allie Shors and Emy Hansen, Whitefish def. Jasmine Jiminez and Aniston Martz 6-1, 6-0; Sophie McCreedy and Lucy Marzo, Whitefish def. Ellie Hattlestad and Josie Wolfe 6-0, 6-0. 

    Ainsley Grubb plays a singles match against Columbia Falls at Riverside on May 6. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
  

    Emy Hansen plays a singles match against Columbia Falls at Riverside on May 6. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
  

    Aubrey Talbot, back left, and Zoey Marzo, front right, play doubles against Columbia Falls at Riverside on May 6. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)