Young Knights netters grow up, claim sectional title

Glendale - Ahead of schedule and right on time.

That's how Nicolet girls tennis coach Tim Koppa sees things as the Knights, with four freshmen in their 10-woman lineup, still cruised to an impressive WIAA sectional champion, advancing five entries to this weekend's individual tournament as well as a slot in the Oct. 21-22 state team tournament.

"You never really know what's going to happen at the sectional, especially with a team as young as ours," Koppa said, "but in a big situation, they all pretty much rose to the occasion."

The Knights advanced sophomore Emily Mone (19-13), freshman Nina Gerard (23-10), and junior Emma Wathen (27-6) in singles and the doubles teams of senior Erin and sophomore Sara Miller (28-4) and freshmen Michelle Margolie and Erin Wathen (21-10) to this weekend's WIAA State Individual Tournament at the Nielsen Tennis Center in Madison.

Miller and Miller earned the second seed in doubles behind an undefeated duo from Homestead.

Play begins Thursday and runs through Saturday's championship matches.

It was a stunning effort for the Knights at the Greenfield sectional Oct. 6 as they won six of seven flights en route to a 54-point effort that put them well ahead of rival Whitefish Bay 41.

Miller and Miller defeated a Greendale pair in the final for their championship to lead a Knights sweep of the pairs' competition. Meanwhile, Margolies and Wathen downed a Bay pair for their title, and the third doubles team of senior Claire Maxon and junior Mercedes Halaska (15-5) defeated a Bay duo for their championship.

In singles, Gerard won the second slot with a win over a Bay foe, while Emma Wathen did the same at third singles while Josie Docalavich (26-3) defeated a Franklin opponent in her last match. Gerard did not drop a set in the entire subsectional and sectional competition.

The only flight the Knights did not win was first singles where Bay's Lily Hayes downed Mone in the final. Hayes is the fourth seed in singles.

"I thought it might be close between us and Bay (for the team title)," Koppa said. "I also knew that Franklin had some good doubles' teams, but we've been working towards this for some time. We didn't see Bay until late in the season when we finally crossed paths and got a good idea of where we stood with them."

"I was really happy with our younger players. They've now learned enough to get through some tough matches. They've grown up some."