Girls tennis: Bulldogs net third-place finish at Schupbach Invite

WATERLOO — The Ottumwa High School girls tennis team opened the season on Saturday on the same courts where many of the Bulldog players hope to end the season.

The Bulldogs battled their way through a long day of tennis at the Chuck Schupbach Memorial Invitational, finishing third as a team with 17 points. Six different players brought home medals in six different divisions, winning 10 matches at the Byrnes Park, the home of the Class 2A state singles and doubles tournament.

“All the girls played well. Many of them were playing their first varsity singles match and, for some, their first doubles matches,” Ottumwa head girls tennis coach Leanna White said. “This is a new squad with some great potential for the season.”

Ana Toloza posted the highest singles finish for the Bulldogs, going 2-1 to finish second among players in the No. 5 singles portion of the tournament. Toloza bounced back from a 10-3 loss to Clinton senior Kirstin Bengtson, winning 11-2 over Decorah freshman Niva Anderson and 9-4 over Columbus Catholic senior Kathryn Brandle to secure the silver medal.

Madalynn Sertterh and Abigail Ellison, both coming off playing in the Dan Staggs Tennis Tournament last week, brought home bronze medals in singles play on Saturday for Ottumwa. Sertterh, the inaugural women’s champion of the Staggs Tournament, opened the season with a 10-3 win over Columbus senior Macey O’Brien in her debut as the top singles player for the Bulldogs while Ellison shook off a 10-3 loss to Decorah senior Isis Timm earning a 9-4 victory over Columbus sophomore Scarlett Reiter for her third varsity singles win after taking two victories last fall as a freshman.

“I’ve learned a lot more about how to position myself more back in the box rather than being more forward,” Ellison said. “Having those tools and the ideas in your head of positioning improves how you’re playing and all the different things you can do.”

Sertterh and Sonya Lundgren had a winning debut as Ottumwa’s top singles team on Saturday, earning the silver medal at the Schupbach going 2-1 against the top teams in the tournament. Sertterh and Lundgren won their first two matches in the tournaments, including an 11-2 season debut against Columbus, before dropping a 10-3 decision in the championship match.

“I definitely feel like I’m better player since last season,” Sertterh said. “I feel like I’m doing a better job reading where players are going to be on the court. It’s good to get out there and challenge ourselves against some top competition.”

Ellison teamed up with Harper Bradley to finish second in the No. 2 doubles portion of the tournament, securing consecutive 9-4 wins over Decorah and Columbus to bounce back from a 13-0 season-opening loss to Clinton teammates Elizabeth Grinnall and Taedyn Cewe. Toloza teamed up for the first time with Bradlie McWilliams to finish third in the No. 3 doubles tournament, earning an 8-5 win over Columbus teammates Anna Feldmann and Bradle after dropping an opening 9-4 match to Decorah teammates Kaya Olson and Elsey Garle.

“I’m impressed with how well our doubles team communicated and worked together,” White said. “They all became more aggressive as the day went on.”

Ottumwa hosts Des Moines Hoover on Tuesday in the home opener for the Bulldogs and the Iowa Alliance Conference opening dual for both teams. Action at Dan Staggs Family Courts begins at 10 a.m.