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Threat from the West

Majettes tennis ready for state tournament play

Ashton Gerard/MDN Minot High junior Raquel Egge moves to strike the ball in a singles match against Williston during the WDA Team Tournament at Hammond Park in Minot.

Have a stellar regular season, check. Become champions of the West Region, check. Qualify all seven individuals for the state tournament, check.

The only thing that could make this season better would be a grand finish this weekend in Grand Forks, and for Minot High girls tennis team (17-1), it’s definitely a possibility.

All season, Majettes head coach Scott DeLorme has been preaching how his girls can compete with the best teams and individuals in the state. During the WDA tournament, the depth of the program shined. The team swept their opponents in the team tournament to claim the championship, advancing through Williston, Mandan and finally Century with ease.

On the individual side, the team advanced all seven individuals that competed to state.

“It’s the first time in at least the last 15 years that all seven girls advance to the state tournament,” DeLorme said. “Our depth has been a good bonus for us all year long.”

Ashton Gerard/MDN Majettes senior Kali Askvig prepares a forehand stroke in a doubles match against Mandan during the WDA Doubles Tournament semifinals in Minot.

The state tournament, like the WDA Tournament, is split into three days. Today is the team championship, where teams go head-to-head against each other. Each dual will consist of three singles matches and two doubles. Friday is the beginning of the singles and doubles championships, where individuals will play to determine the top tennis athletes in the state.

“I’m super excited,” senior Kali Askvig said. “I think we have a team who’s ready to play.”

Here is an overview of where the Majettes stand going into the weekend.

Team Championships

MHS ended last season with a third place in the state team championship. Coming so close has made the girls want it that much more this year.

“The girls are extremely confident and hungry for this weekend,” DeLorme said.

The ultimate goal is to play in the championship match, but two great teams stand in their way.

First up for the Majettes is the East No. 4-seeded Fargo Davies. The Majettes faced the Eagles on May 11 in the same tournament format, winning 5-0.

Next would either be Mandan or Grand Forks Red River. The Majettes have seen Mandan twice; once during the regular season, winning 7-2, and in the WDA Tournament, winning 5-0. The Majettes have yet to face GFRR this season.

“It’s going to take a good team effort all day long,” DeLorme said. “If we play well on the right day, we can play in that championship match and hopefully have a chance at the end of the day.”

The team is running with the same lineup from the WDA Tournament. At singles are sophomore Haya Dodin, junior Raquel Egge and eighth-grader Eden Olson. At doubles are seniors Askvig and Alyssa Henson followed by senior Gwen Mathews paired with either junior Joelle Fettig or eighth-grader Sofia Egge.

“We have a number of girls that could switch to doubles, but early on we will stick to what worked last week,” DeLorme said.

The team’s one loss this season came from the East’s No. 1 West Fargo Sheyenne. While the team hasn’t explicitly talked about the possibility of facing Sheyenne in the championship, DeLorme said the girls know who they are.

“They have four talented girls at the top of their lineup,” DeLorme said. “Hopefully our depth would be enough to challenge them.”

The Majettes open the day against Fargo Davies at 10 a.m. at the Wynne Courts in Grand Forks.

Singles Championships

After fighting their way out of the West Region, singles competitors Dodin, Raquel Egge, and Olson will have the opportunity to prove they are the best in the state. The competition is spread out over Friday and Saturday.

Sophomore Dodin comes into the tournament as the West’s No. 1 seed with the WDA Singles Championship victory. She faces the East’s No. 8-seeded Katie Lee from Fargo Davies. The match will take place at Choice Health & Fitness in Grand Forks.

Egge, the West’s No. 3 seed, said she’s ready for the competition and to see some new faces from the East.

“Preeti Chemiti from Sheyenne will be a big competitor this weekend,” Egge said. “We went to three matches earlier this season and it didn’t go my way, but hopefully this time it does.”

To get to Chemiti, Egge will first have to play through the East’s No. 6-seeded Izzi Nankivel of West Fargo. Olson comes into the tournament as the West’s No. 7 seed. She will start her day against the East’s No. 2-seeded Chemiti.

The Singles Championships begin Friday at 10 a.m. in Grand Forks.

Doubles Championships

The Majettes have two doubles teams in the Doubles Championships: Askvig and Henson, Mathews and Sofia Egge. Like the singles, the championships will take place over Friday and Saturday.

Askvig and Henson took third in the West Region and will face the East’s No. 6-seeded Gabriella Spicer and Lucy Welsh from Grand Forks Central.

Askvig said the confidence level between her and Henson is high after their performance at the WDA Tournament.

“We played really well last week and played well together last weekend,” Askvig said. “We’ve been practicing a lot together and I think we’re ready for what’s to come.”

Mathews and Egge finished fifth in the West and will face the East’s No. 4-seeded Anna Frie and Karsen Aune from Shanley/Oak Grove.

The Doubles Championships begin Friday at 10 a.m. in Grand Forks.

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