Redbirds Fall in Cross-town match

ALTON — Jesse Macias and Mike Walters weren’t sure where to turn on the lights at the Simpson Tennis Complex. And with Tuesday’s city girls tennis championship between Alton High and Marquette heading to a crucial tiebreaker and darkness closing in, light were definitely needed.

A pair of pickleball players on an adjacent court came to the rescue.

“There were some guys playing pickleball and they asked us if we minded if they turned on the lights,” said Alton coach Jesse Macias. “I said they could turn ours on too, but I didn’t know where to do it. They said they knew where.”

With a new light on the No. 1 doubles tiebreak, the Marquette duo of Monica Wendel and Aubrey Hunter earned a third-set 10-8 tiebreak victory over Paige Rockholm and Ainsley Fortschneider and with it a 5-4 win over Alton.

“I guess you could say it was fitting that the Alton-Marquette match would come down to that,” said Marquette coach Mike Walters, whose team is 5-1 in dual meet action. “I’m glad somebody knew where to turn on the lights.”

Wendle and Hunter battled from behind in their No. 1 doubles win. Rockholm and Fortschneider posted a 6-3 first-set victory. Wendel and Hunter rallied for a 7-5 second-set win, setting up the twilight tiebreaker.

“It was a really good high school tennis match,” Alton’s Macias said. “It came down to tiebreakers. There were three and they won two of them.”

At No. 2 doubles, Criveau and Lydia Taul beat Nina Walters and Alexia Williams 6-2, 6-0. At No. 3 doubles, Marquette’s Betsy Gross and Josie Zigrang defeated Anna Kane and Anna Sommerhoff 6-2, 6-3.

There were a pair of tiebreakers in singles action.

At No. 3 singles, Alton’s Rockholm dropped an 11-9 tiebreak decision to Nina Walters of Marquette. Rockholm won the first set 6-3, but Walters forced the tiebreakers with a 6-4 second-set win.

At No. 4 singles, Anna Kane of Alton defeated Alexia Williams 10-3 to break their tie. Williams won the first set 6-3 and Kane took the second 6-4.

Marquette’s Wendel, a junior, posted a 6-0, 6-2 win over Criveau at No. 1 doubles.

“Monica keeps the ball in play,” Mike Walters said. “If you hit her a short ball, she’ll not only go get it, she‘ll make you play it with her return. She has really come on strong this year.”

At No 2 singles, Fortschneider downed Marquette’s Hunter 6-2, 7-5.

“Ainsley and (Criveau) have played strong for us and they did today,” Macias said. “(Wendel) was just too strong today. I thought (Fortschneider) really battled and got a nice win.”

Alton’s Taul defeated Olivia Tinsley of Marquette 6-2, 6-0 at No. 5 singles.

At No. 6 singles, Gross of Marquette downed Alton’s Sommerhof 6-1, 6-2.

“I was pretty nervous before this one,” Mike Walters said. “I knew Alton had lost several strong players from last year, but so did we.

“Our players asked me before we started if I was nervous and I said, “Sure I am.’

“Our girls have really responded so far and have really done a nice job. This one came down to that tiebreaker. Being able to win those showed how our girls react.”

Macias, didn’t mention nerves, but he said the way the match went made him happy with his team.

“I’m proud of our girls,” Macias said. “Ainsley and Criveau were tough all day and Lydia Taul got two wins. Anna Kane won a big three-set match and Sommerhoff and Rockholm battled too.

“But congrats to Marquette. They have a great program and they earned it today.”