Sandpoint routs Lakeland 10-1 to cap off busy, three-match week
(Photo by KYLE CAJERO) Declan Plummer returns a serve during a No. 1 boys’ doubles match against Post Falls on May 1.
(Photo by KYLE CAJERO) Sandpoint’s Charlie Johnson prepares to hit a forehand in his No. 1 boys singles match against Post Falls on May 1. On Friday at Lakeland High School, Johnson won his match against the Hawks’ Jared Roth, 6-2, 6-4.
Going into Friday afternoon’s critical, districts-seeding match with Lakeland, Sandpoint tennis head coach Kent Anderson had a conundrum on his hands.
Allura Livingston, one half of his unbeaten No. 1 girls’ doubles team, was still recovering from getting her wisdom teeth removed earlier in the week. Anton Morau, meanwhile, was supposed to miss the match with scheduling conflicts.
On top of that, both the Sandpoint and Lakeland tennis teams have historically been familiar with each others’ styles of play.
Yet Sandpoint ended up averting most of those obstacles. Morau suited up, Hadley Goodvin stepped in yet again for Livingston and the Bulldogs romped Lakeland in a convincing 10-1 rout.
“The team came to play once again,” Anderson said in an email afterwards. “I think they like district seeding matches.”
Players like Jenny Slaveck, Morau and Cayden Kindred probably liked how their matches panned out: All three won 6-0, 6-0 in straight sets. Only two of the matches on the day required a third set. Morau’s in particular earned high praise from his coach; the Swedish exchange student played “the best match of the year” due to playing with his power and finesse, according to Anderson.
Elsewhere in boys’ action, Tabor Dussault and Carter Johnson came into their own as doubles partners, while Kindred swept his opponent in singles.
“Cayden Kindred played crazy tennis today — but crazy in a good way,” Anderson said. “He completely dominated with his smooth, effortless power. Both his grounds and his serves were impressive.”
Meanwhile on the girls’ side, Jenny Slaveck capped off her third of three wins this week at No. 1 singles. Unlike the marathon of a match she faced against Moscow — or the second-set surge she put on against Post Falls — her two-set win was an overwhelming victory.
“Jenny made it look easy against a solid opponent,” Anderson said. “She is moving and anticipating at a very high level right now.”
The one anomaly in Friday’s scoring was that Lakeland’s No. 3 girls’ singles player defaulted, hence the 11-point score. Instead, Sandpoint’s Denali Terry played an exhibition match against Lakeland’s Cece Viebolk.
All in all, the Bulldogs will have two days to rest and reset until they take on the Hawks on Monday for the final districts-seeding match before the real deal.
“There were several impressive wins today,” Anderson said. “It’s amazing to see the team’s improvement after playing so many matches this week.”
Sandpoint will host Lakeland at home next Monday at 2:30 p.m.
Sandpoint 10, Lakeland 1
Sandpoint athletes in bold
GIRLS SINGLES: No. 1. Jenny Slaveck d. Kelsey Brumbles, 6-0, 6-0. No. 2 Colleene McBride d, Desiree Zito, 6-4, 6-2. No. 3 Cece Viebrolk d. Denali Terry, 6-2, 6-1 (exhibition).
GIRLS DOUBLES: Tessa Beeman/Hadley Goodvin d. Cece Viebrolk/Anna Altsuler, 4-6, 6-0 (10-6). Lily Anderson/Olivia Ramirez d. Ellie Brown/Rachel Moen, 6-0, 6-3.
BOYS SINGLES: No. 1 Charlie Johnson d. Jared Roth, 6-2, 6-4. No. 2 Anton Morau d. Kong Jaturandt, 6-0, 6-0. No. 3 Cayden Kindred d. Eric Driscoll, 6-0, 6-0.
BOYS DOUBLES: Declan Plummer/Christian Story d. David Durfee/Cody Wilding, 6-3, 6-1. Tabor Dussault/Carter Johnson d. John Zubaly/Blaise Wright, 7-5, 6-0.
MIXED DOUBLES: Abbie Grangier/Caleb Pearson d. Josh Jessen/Taryn McBride, 6-3, 6-3 (10-8). Maureen Wardle/Tyler Korn d. Sarah Boyer/Brady Manko, 6-1. 6-2.