Knights change up lineup before home match with Wolverines
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KELSEYVILLE >> Even without two of their top singles players in the lineup, the Kelseyville Knights swept all five matches in straight sets, beating the Willits Wolverines 5-0 in Coastal Mountain Conference North tennis action Friday in Kelseyville.
“A nice, stress-free win,” Kelseyville head coach Andy Dobusch said. “I was able to shift the lineup and have two of my top seniors take the match off.”
Filling in for Maddy Borghesani in first singles was Olivia Bushey, who beat Salisa Leon 6-4, 6-4.
“That was a nice win against a quality opponent, probably her best win of the season,” Dobusch said. “Her serves kept her in the match an provided all the advantage she needed to get the win. She also had a good day at the net.”
Filling in for Riley Lopez in second singles was Olivia Raabe, who beat Karina Velazco 6-0, 7-5.
“Olivia came out hot and decisively won the first set,” Dobusch said. “The second set was a different story. It was back and forth the entire set. Karina found some shots that gave Liv trouble and she leaned on those shots to make a match of it. Olivia closed out the set with a strong service game. I’m pretty confident when Liv is serving and it came through in the clutch.”
Grace Peterson defeated Lissbeth Hernandez 6-0, 6-1 in third singles.
“Grace is playing some solid tennis at this point in the season,” Dobusch said. “She’s come on strong lately. She’s been moving extremely well, very quick. Now her ground strokes, serves and volleys are catching up to her footwork. She’s turned a corner and is playing at a different level than the beginning of the season.”
Brooklyn Young and Gemma Tanti beat Sofia Vaccaro and Alieah Barragan 6-1, 6-3 in first doubles.
“Brooklyn and Gemma played well together and cruised in their win,” Dobusch said. “We were just more polished and consistent.”
In second doubles, Jesse Barnett and Italian foreign exchange Manny Ingrassia, who is new to the team, defeated April Villegas and Alisson Raya 6-2, 6-1.
“Manny is a great addition to the team,” Dobusch said. “It’s fun to watch him learn a new sport and get these experiences. While he’s new to the game, he and Jesse played well enough to get the victory. They were both bigger and overall more athletic than their competition.”
Kelseyville, now 5-2 in the conference standings, is off next week for spring break. The Knights return to action Tuesday, April 14 at Mendocino.
