Vikes tennis open season with good results

By Danielle Strenke
The Vikings girls tennis team opened its season with play in two invitational on the road, and then returned home to host the Vikings Invite last Thursday.
The team went 3-3 after matches in the Elk River Invite Aug. 17 and the Coon Rapids Invite Aug. 20.
At Elk River, the squad fell 5-2 to Monticello and was shut out 7-0 by Elk River, before picking up its first win on the season 4-3 against Princeton.
In the win, strong doubles play carried the North Branch team. At No. 1 doubles, senior Christina Sampson and junior Shannon OíHern won 6-0, 6-4. Juniors Brooke Chambers and Lindsey Bond combined to win 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 doubles and seniors Danielle Wilkerson and Nicole Grandahl lost only two games in their 6-1, 6-1 victories at No. 3.
The Vikes picked up their lone singles win from freshman Chantell Sampson, who won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 singles.
At Coon Rapids, the team fell 7-0 to Coon Rapids before notching a 6-1 win over Hill Murray and a 7-0 win over Tartan.
For singles, Christina Sampson, junior Maren Anderson and OíHern earned wins in the matches against Hill Murrary and Tartan. Senior Helena Graff and Chambers combined for a win at No. 1 doubles against Tartan.
The team hosted Mora, Centennial and Champlain Park in the Vikings Invite Aug. 22, coming away with the second place trophy.
Individual medals were earned by Christina Sampson, who went 3-0 in singles play, OíHern, who was 2-1 and Bond, who was 1-2. The Vikings No. 3 doubles team of Chantell Sampson and and junior Nicole Granberg, who went 2-1.
A long dual meet Monday against Forest Lake ended in a climactic 4-3 win for the Vikings on their home court.
North Branch racked up wins from Christina Sampson and Anderson at singles and Graff and junior Felicia DeHart at doubles, while losing its other two doubles matches and at No. 4 singles.
With the score tied at 3-all, the deciding match came down to OíHern at No. 2 singles. OíHern lost the first set 3-6 and then came back to win the second 6-3 to send it into a third set. ìAfter a gruelling three hours of patient play and long rallys, Shannonís timely agressive net play won the match,î head coach Shelley Alvin said.
This week, the team hosted St. Francis Tuesday and takes part in the No. St. Paul Invite Friday.

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