SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Rain forced a venue change, but the Watertown girls tennis team pushed through the weather to secure a fourth-place team finish at the Eastern South Dakota Conference Tennis Tournament on Monday and Tuesday.
Watertown accumulated 110.5 total team points across two days of competition at the Sioux Falls courts.
Elly Dingsor led the team on both sides of the bracket. In Flight 1 singles, Dingsor opened with a 10-6 victory over Brandon Valley’s Harper Beatch before dropping a 10-5 semifinal match to Harrisburg’s Noa Lovro. She wrapped up her singles run with an 8-2 loss to Sarah Knie of Aberdeen to secure third place.
Dingsor paired up with Jennika Kettwig in Flight 1 doubles to make a run to the finals. The pair defeated Brandon Valley’s Beatch and Olivia Ericsson in the opening round, then knocked off Yankton’s Karalyn Koerner and Mary Rounds in the semifinals. Their run ended in the championship match with a 10-6 loss to Harrisburg’s Lovro and Hope Gabel.
In Flight 5 singles, Ella Pesek earned a third-place finish for Watertown. After defeating Harper Weisenburger of Yankton in the opening round, Pesek fell to Mitchell’s Charlee Cimpl in the semifinals. She bounced back in the third-place match, defeating Aberdeen’s Jovee Waldo 8-4. Pesek also teamed up with Lillian Fox in Flight 3 doubles to capture fifth place, capping their tournament with a victory over Yankton’s Sienna Cuka and Ramsey Anderson.
The team picked up several additional top finishes across the remaining singles flights. In Flight 2 singles, Kettwig rebounded from an opening-round loss to defeat Huron’s Idella Meyer before dropping an 8-6 decision to Mitchell’s Mia Larson to finish sixth. Grace Pesek topped Brandon Valley’s Olivia Ericsson in the consolation semifinals of Flight 3 singles before falling 8-4 to Huron’s Chalie Sah to place sixth. In Flight 4 singles, Victoria Bobzien competed in opening-round and consolation semifinal action, while Abby Anderson rebounded in Flight 6 singles by defeating Brookings’ Julia Schefers 10-2 in a play-in match.
Watertown capped off its doubles action with another solid performance in Flight 2, where Grace Pesek and Victoria Bobzien finished their tournament run with a 10-5 play-in match victory over Brookings’ Charlie Butzin and Alison Glover.
Watertown now turns its attention to the postseason next week. The Class AA State Tournament takes place Oct. 8–9 at the Sioux Park and Parkview Tennis Complexes in Rapid City.
