By Jim Rueda
Free Press Sports Editor
MANKATO —
In what may have been the closest Mankato East/Loyola vs. Mankato West girls tennis match in history, the Scarlets’ Heather Sullivan delivered the final comeback in the decisive match.
With the meet tied at 3, Sullivan trailed 5-1 in the third set against Coley Ries, who has come close but has never previously beaten Sullivan. The West senior regrouped to win six straight games, only to lose her serve to send the No. 1 singles match into a tiebreaker.
Sullivan and Ries continued to spar like two welterweights in the extra session, working the score to 4-4. At that point, Ries sent two shots wide, giving Sullivan a 6-4 lead. The Scarlets senior then delivered the winning drop shot to give herself a 6-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win and her team a 4-3 triumph.
As she walked off the court, Sullivan’s eyes widened when she learned that hers was the deciding match.
“Really?” she said. “I didn’t know. I’m glad I didn’t know. I have enough pressure just trying to win without adding to it.”
The Big Nine Conference meet, played at the East courts, was close all the way. West took a quick 2-0 led with straight-set wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles, but East countered by earning straight-set wins at second singles, third singles and No. 1 doubles.
First doubles was considered one of the toss-up matches going in but West was never really in it. The Cougars’ Allison Cannella and E.J. Scharmer swept Sarah Miller and Miranda Wynkoop 6-3, 6-2.
“E.J. and I have been working on our two-up game a lot and we used again today,” Cannella said, referring to an alignment where both team members are at the net at the same time. “That was our plan and I thought we did well with it.
“My first serve wasn’t working very well, but I kept trying to hit my second serve to their backhand side and that seemed to help. It was a nice win for us.”
Fourth singles, another potential toss-up match, was won by West’s Julia Snelson. She defeated Katie Karkoska 6-3, 6-1 to tie the meet at 3.
The Sullivan-Ries match was not only dramatic at the end, but also at the beginning. Sullivan had a 5-2 lead in the first set, only to see Ries rally for a 7-5 win. Sullivan breezed to a 6-1 win in the second set, setting the stage for the comeback finish.
“I’d say it was the closest (East-West meet) I’ve ever been involved with,” West coach Eric Weisser said. “We’ve had other meets that have ended up 4-3, but I can’t remember any that were decided by a third-set tiebreaker.”
The win improves West to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Nine. East/Loyola falls to 3-2 and 0-1.
Mankato West 4, Mankato East/Loyola 2
SINGLES: 1—Heather Sullivan (MW) def. Coley Ries 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4); 2—Cassidy Miller (MEL) def. Lauren Makela 6-4 6-1; 3—Anne White (MEL) def. Andrea Erdman 6-1, 6-1; 4—Julia Snelson (MW) def. Katie Karkoska 6-3, 6-1.
DOUBLES: 1—Allison Cannella & E.J. Scharmer (MEL) def. Sarah Miller & Miranda Wynkoop 6-3, 6-2; 2—Chelsea Mielke & Sophie Jones (MW) def. Kjersten Lemke & Steph Geller 6-2, 6-2; 3—Erin Traxler & Justine Scheller (MW) def. Savannah Quandt & Justine Pasker 6-2, 6-2.
