![](/sites/default/files/imported/Photos/160928_tennis_2H.jpg)
Past D2 Champs Share This Season's Title
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
September 29, 2016
KINGSFORD — Prior to 2015, Ishpeming Westwood was enjoying a six-year championship reign in the Upper Peninsula Division 2 Girls Tennis Finals.
Then it was Munising’s turn to celebrate its first championship a year ago.
Both schools were celebrating on a mostly sunny and cool Wednesday as they shared this season’s title with 16 points apiece. Iron River West Iron County placed third with 14.
“The last one is always the best one,” said Westwood coach Chris Jackson. “You never know when you’re going to win it again. We went into this season with what we thought would be a solid lineup, then about 3-4 girls moved out of the district. We needed some younger kids to step in and do some things. We’ve been building all year. Our lineup had to be moved around. We had to ask our depth to step up.”
Munising also had to overcome a few things to maintain a share of the title, as coach Rod Gendron explained.
“We don’t have enough courts to host a meet,” he said. “All the girls had to practice on what we had, although I think that made our team even closer. Our team chemistry has been good. We’re always supporting each other. Westwood is a tough team, no doubt about it. We’re very happy with our performance.”
Munising secured its share in No. 3 singles where Kelsea Ackerman posted a 6-3, 6-3 victory over West Iron’s Isabelle Hoogenboom.
Westwood clinched its share a short time earlier in No. 1 doubles, with seniors Mady Mattson and Averie Kangas gaining a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Munising seniors Marissa Immel and Bailey Downs during a match that endured a half-hour rain delay.
“We really wanted this one,” said Mattson. “We were on top of our game. It felt like we had good energy, then it took a little while for us to get that back (after the delay).”
Immel and Downs, who edged the Westwood duo on a tie-breaker during the regular season, returned to the court with plenty of energy after the showers moved through the area. By then, however, they were trailing 3-1 in the second set and didn’t seem to have an answer for Mattson and Kangas’ lobs over the net.
“We felt if we moved around a lot and communicated, we could find the holes,” said Kangas. “They’re a good team, but I think the rain delay helped us refocus.”
Gendron was impressed with Westwood’s performance at No. 1 doubles.
“Their overhand shots and soft lobs over the net were very effective, and they made very few errors,” he said. “Marissa and Bailey gave us two great years. They won a lot of matches.”
Munising senior Frankie Mattson dispatched West Iron sophomore Katarina Serbentas 6-1, 6-1 for her first title at No. 1 singles.
“I thought my serving was pretty consistent,” Mattson said. “I think I got to her a little mentally. Being a senior, there’s a lot of pressure on you, especially when you’re the No. 1 seed. I was runner-up here last year, which I think motivated me. I’m happy with how things ended. Katarina is a good player. She has two good years of tennis ahead of her.”
Munising junior Marissa Ackerman also was crowned champion for the first time after taking a 6-2, 6-0 decision from Westwood’s Marissa Carello.
Both players appeared to follow a conservative approach in the first set. Ackerman then took charge in the second after gaining the first point on a lob over the net.
“I think that kind of set the tone,” she said. “I always try to hit the ball short when my opponent is on the back line. I started going more for angles and hitting the ball harder in the second set. There’s a lot of pressure, but this is definitely worth it. I think losing in the finals last year had a great impact on today. I was able to learn some things from that. I had a better attitude than I did in last year’s finals.”
Gendron was happy with the performance by the Mustangs’ singles.
“Frankie played lights out in the finals,” he said. “Everybody at No. 1 singles is a good player. Marissa and Kelsea (Ackerman) hadn’t lost a set all year. I’m looking forward to them stepping up to No. 1 and 2 next year.”
Westwood grabbed the top three flights in doubles, including Madelyn Koski-Tessa Leece’s 7-6, 6-3 conquest of Munising’s Talatha Witty-Keira Stamply at No. 3
“The key to our lineup is all six of our seniors played their best tennis all year,” said Jackson. “They wanted to be leaders. They did what they had to do. It all started with the (Mid-Peninsula) conference meet when Negaunee beat us by just one point (39-38). I think that was a confidence builder for our girls.”
West Iron earned a victory at No. 4 doubles as Aly Pangrazzi-Eden Golliher topped Westwood’s Erin Paavo-Aubrie Magnuson 6-3, 6-2.
“We told our girls it would be within 1-2 points (for the title), and we came up a little short today,” said Wykons’ coach Joe Serbentas. “We’re a young team. We had three sophomores in the singles finals. Yet, we were right there. Last year, we weren’t in the mix. We came a long way this year and were 9-2 in dual meets. We had a very nice season. The future looks good.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Munising's Frankie Mattson follows through on a swing during Wednesday's Upper Peninsula Division 2 Finals on the way to winning No. 1 singles. (Middle) Ishpeming Westwood's Paige Rivard and Cayla Ostola also were among flight champions, at No. 2 doubles. (Photos by Adam Niemi)
![](/sites/default/files/imported/Photos/1_130602_D3tennis2H.jpg)
Cranbrook-Kingswood Near-Perfect Again
June 1, 2013
By Alan Babbitt
Special to Second Half
HOLLAND – Alexandria Najarian and the Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood girls tennis team are a nearly unbeatable combination.
Najarian, a junior, served up her third individual flight title with a third unblemished season Saturday at Hope College, helping Cranbrook-Kingswood complete a near-perfect run to the team Lower Peninsula Division 3 title.
Cranbrook-Kingswood won seven of eight flights for 39 points — one point from perfection. The Cranes finished comfortably ahead of runner-up Allegan (23).
It was a satisfying conclusion to a season that started slowly, Najarian said.
“We took a Florida trip at the beginning of the year for spring break, and we were down there for a week. We all were really frustrated with our play at the beginning because we were working so hard. We felt like nothing was coming together,” Najarian said. “Today it finally came together. This is a really happy moment.”
Cranbrook-Kingswood earned a three-peat of team titles with its fifth consecutive top-two finish.
“We came in favored, but all year our girls worked really hard,” said Cranbrook-Kingswood coach Jeff Etterbeek, a Holland native. “They came out here in some tough, windy conditions and kept their composure. They played one point at a time and did a great job. I’m really proud of all of them. They really came through.”
Najarian contributed by taking first at No. 1 singles.
In Saturday’s final, she defeated a familiar foe — second-seeded Sydney Liggins of Grand Rapids Catholic Central — 6-1, 6-4. It was a rematch of the 2012 title match.
“She’s been my biggest competitor the past few years. She’s played so well,” Najarian said. “She came out a little nervous. Usually it’s the opposite. I got a better head start. Last year, I went down 0-4 and had to fight back. This year it was the opposite. She put up a great fight. It means a lot I could pull through again.”
Cranbrook-Kingswood swept the rest of singles play and won three doubles flights.
Detroit Country Day took third with 19 points, while Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern (17) and St. Clair (16) rounded out the top five.
Allegan spoiled Cranbrook-Kingswood’s bid for a perfection.
Allegan’s top-seeded No. 1 doubles team of seniors Christin Drozd and Kaycee Harness outlasted Cranbrook-Kingswood’s third-seeded pair of Alissa Rowens and Meg Phyle 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the championship match.
It was the first MHSAA doubles title together for Drozd and Harness, who went unbeaten. Drozd earned one title as a freshman at No. 2 doubles before finishing Finals runner-up the past two seasons at No. 1, including 2012 with Harness.
“To finish my senior year undefeated, state champs, is absolutely amazing,” Drozd said.
Harness moved from No. 3 singles after her sophomore season to play with Drozd.
“When her partner graduated, I wanted to jump in. We’ve been such good friends,” Harness said. “I think the fact we lost (in the finals) last year made us want that much more this year. We were motivated and worked hard all season.”
In other flights, No. 2 singles top seed Anna Short of Cranbrook-Kingswood defeated third-seeded Madeline Bissett of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern 6-1, 6-0 in the championship match.
At No. 3 singles, top-seeded Allison Motea of Cranbrook-Kingswood beat second-seeded Haley Mullins of Detroit Country Day 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
At No. 4 singles, Cranbrook-Kingswood’s Sarah Lipworth held her No. 1 seed, scoring a 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (5) win in the title match against third-seeded Sarah Carroll of Detroit Country Day.
In doubles play, Cranbrook-Kingswood’s second-seeded No. 2 pairing of Kendra Sweet and Christina Roualet won by knocking off top-seed Blake Day and Emmarie Gorby of Allegan 6-4, 7-5 in the finals.
At No. 3 doubles, Cranbrook-Kingswood’s No. 1-seeded duo of Briana Latica and Holly Meers defeated sixth-seeded Taylor Orr and Carlie VanKlompenberg 6-0, 6-1 for the championship.
At No. 4 doubles, Cranbrook-Kingswood’s top-seeded pair of Lauren Lanzon and Emily Harvey beat second-seeded Anna Bosgraaf and Lisa Busscher in the final 6-2, 6-1.
Najarian now has her sights set on a rare four-peat of MHSAA Finals flight championships.
“I hope so,” she said. “I worked a lot over the summer. Staying healthy and not getting injured is important. (Liggins) won’t be back, but there’s still some good competition to get used to. I got used to her.”
Etterbeek is confident Najarian will be in the hunt again next spring.
“She has a lot of variety in her game. She can beat you in so many different ways” Etterbeek said. “She’s just a smart experienced player. She is such a great competitor. She’s going to figure a way to beat you when she’s not playing her best.
“That’s certainly proven so far because she’s never lost a match. It doesn’t always go perfect. She’s had some close matches this year, and she came through every one of them. She’s a great leader on our team. We’re so happy to have her, obviously.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Cranbrook-Kingswood's Alexandria Najarian sends a shot during a No. 1 singles match; she won the flight for the third straight season. (Middle) Allegan's Christin Drozd, together with partner Kaycee Harness, won the No. 1 doubles championship. (Click to see more at HighSchoolsSportsScene.com.)