Devils start year with win

IRONWOOD  — Ironwood started the tennis season with a 5-2 victory over Phillips in Hurley and Ironwood Wednesday.

The Red Devils swept the singles matches and Ironwood’s No. 2 doubles took the other victory.

Senior Katie Piispanen and rookie freshman Kristine Mieloszyk both won 6-0, 6-0. Piispanen was at No. 1 singles, Mieloszyk at No. 4.

Payton Aho won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. Katie Erickson defeated Ariana Blair 6-2, 6-4 after the storm delay in No. 3 singles.

Ironwood’s No. 2 doubles team, rookie freshmen Kathleen Mieloszyk and Jamee Bastman, won 6-4, 6-1.

Phillips finished both of its wins after the storm rolled through, winning the Nos. 1 and 3 doubles at Patterson Courts in Ironwood. The Loggers executed high, deep lobs to pick up their victories.

Erickson also won at Patterson Courts; she was the last to play. She picked up her first varsity win for the Red Devils.

“It was a great first day for Ironwood tennis,” Ironwood coach Annette Burchell said. “The girls have worked very hard in their first week of the season. Having graduated six of our varsity players last season and losing one of our strongest players, Christy Moore, for her junior tennis year as a Rotary International foreign exchange student to Chile, we’re rebuilding our team. However, we’re anchored by the solid skills of junior Katie Piispanen at No. 1 singles and a strong and talented group of experienced seniors: Danielle Begalle, Payton Aho and Rachel Pallin. We have the strongest numbers in our program that we’ve had in the last 10 years, with 18 girls training in our program. Eleven members of our team are new to tennis this season. Nine of them literally picked up a racket for the first time last week.

“Every single girl on the team is showing meteoric improvement, a telling sign of their hard work and dedication.”

The Red Devils travel to Rhinelander on Friday to play Rhinelander, Merrill and Ashland.

Singles

No. 1: Katie Piispanen (I) def. Abigail Staples (P) 6-0, 6-0

No. 2: Payton Aho (I) def. Jessica DeLasky (P) 6-2, 6-0

No. 3: Katie Erickson (I) def. Ariana Blair (P) 6-2, 6-4

No. 4: Kristine Mieloszyk (I) def. Kayelynn DeLasky (P) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles

No. 1: Erica Haubert/Sam Patrick (P) def. Danielle Begalle/Rachel Pallin (I) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3

No. 2: Kathleen Mieloszyk/Jamee Bastman (I) def. Savannah Soul/Janessa Gumz (P) 6-4, 6-1

No. 3: Brianna Kosmer/Sarah Roush (P) def. Brittany Stella/Kathleen Aspinwall (I) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3