Minot High’s Ava Thuner won her 10th singles match of the season, defeating West Fargo Sheyenne’s Avni Banerjee, 3-6, 6-2, 10-3, on Saturday, May 2, in Bismarck. Mike Kraft/MDN

The Minot High girls tennis team got its first look at a team from the East Region on Saturday, May 2.

The end result looked a lot like the ones the Majettes have put up against most of the West Region. Minot High won five of six singles matches and swept doubles play for an 8-1 victory over the Mustangs in a non-conference match in Bismarck.

The lone match to go to a third set was at No. 2 singles between Minot High’s Ava Thuner and Avni Banerjee. Thuner dropped the opening set, 6-3, before forcing a third set with a 6-2 win in the second set. She won the match by winning 10 of the 13 points in the third-set tiebreaker.

Thuner won her 10th match in as many attempts this season, but this was her toughest test thus far, something Minot High head coach Scott DeLorme thought was needed.

“Ava got pushed in the first set, lost the first set, which was a good thing for her,” DeLorme said. “She needed something competitive and she got it today, but she played the second and third sets very well. It was more her style where she dictated the points, controlled the points and took care of business.’

The Majettes (10-0) rolled out the top six they have been utilizing throughout conference play in Kyllie Fettig, Thuner, Grace Olson, Ella Sherven, McKenna Odahlen and Alivia Shervin.

Olson, Ella Sherven, Odahlen and Alivia Sherven won their singles matches. Olson bested Annika Knodle, 6-1, 6-3, while Ella Sheven defeated Brooklyn Pickard, 6-1, 6-2. Odahlen won all 12 of her games against Casey Deng and Alivia Sherven toppled Kendall Bartnick, 6-0, 6-1.

Sheyenne’s win came at No. 1 singles with defending state champion Sarea Gu defeating Fettig, 6-1, 6-3. It was Fettig’s first loss of the season.

“We were well aware of their top two players, who are very solid players,” DeLorme said. “We’ve had competitive encounters with those two for three years now. Sarea Gu just came out and proved why she truly is the best player in the state. She played incredibly well.”

Gu and Fettig last matched up in the semifinals at the state individual tournament last year. Gu also won that match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, on her way to a state title. DeLorme said she’s gotten even better since that match.

“She’s got a huge forehand,” DeLorme said. “When you put a ball in a spot where she can get to that forehand and take control, she’s very hard to beat. Her biggest thing I think she’s done since last year is she went from a big forehand to all the sudden she has more of an all-around game. She’s got a little bit better serve. She’s willing to come forward more than in year’s past, which is a compliment to her. She’s taken her strength and added to it. She’s going to be a tough out for anybody who matches up with her this year.”

The Majettes kept the top six in singles the same, but put together a couple different pairings in doubles. Fettig and Alivia Sherven played together for the first time at No. 2 doubles, defeating Deng and Ayla Henney, 6-1, 6-1. Ella Sherven and Odahlen also teamed up for the first time, beating Knodle and Elise Ardayfio, 6-2, 6-2.

No. 1 doubles remained unchanged, with Olson and Thuner pairing together for the fourth time this year to battle Gu and Banerjee. Minot High took the match to complete the doubles sweep, 6-2, 6-2.

“The biggest thing we wanted to do with the doubles teams is we wanted Grace and Ava to get the matchup at No. 1 doubles against those two girls from Sheyenne,” DeLorme said. “The No. 1 thing we were looking for was they are trying to fine tune some things to possibly play together or individually.”

Minot High hosts Williston on Monday, May 4, at 1 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Tennis Center.