VERMILLION - The Mitchell High School girls tennis team started without any problems Thursday at Vermillion.
The Kernels swept the Tanagers 9-0 in the season-opening dual at the University of South Dakota's tennis courts. Mitchell won all but one match in straight sets and winning a pair of matches by default.
"I thought it was a good start to the season," Mitchell head coach Pat Moller said. "Vermillion is an inexperienced team to get out of the gate but I thought all of our players did a pretty good job of playing their match."
Avery Larson won at No. 1 singles for the Kernels, winning the first set 6-1 over Brandi Sykes, before Sykes defaulted in the second set. Kelsey Dahme, Madison Bohlen and Ashley Jones each won a set 6-0 on the way to singles wins.
Kaihlen Smith was challenged in the first set, falling 4-6, before rallying back 6-2 and 10-6 for the victory over Shinayne Whipple.
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"She started out a little slow," Moller said. "But it's a testament to her work ethic and from the second set on, there was no doubt about who the best tennis player on the court was."
Larson/Bohlen, Dahme/Smith and Ashley Jones and Bailey Roden each won their doubles matches in straight sets, with Jones/Roden winning by default.
"It was tough to get a good an assessment of where we're at but it was good to get through the matches without any upsets and now we can look ahead to the ESD schedule a bit," Moller said.
Mitchell (1-0) returns to the court at 11:30 a.m. Monday in Harrisburg, with the Kernels taking on the Tigers and Worthington, Minnesota.
Mitchell 9, Vermillion 0
Singles: No. 1: Avery Larson (M) def. Brandi Sykes (V), 6-1, default; No. 2: Kelsey Dahme (M) def. Libby Sykes (V), 6-2, 6-0; No. 3: Kaihlen Smith (M) def. Shinayne Whipple (V), 4-6, 6-2, 10-6; No. 4: Madison Bohlen (M) def. Jane Struckman (V), 6-0, 6-1; No. 5: Ashley Jones (M) def. Emma Dulhoff (V), 6-2, 6-0; No. 6: Bailey Roden (M) def. Katrina Helse (V), 6-4, 6-4
Doubles: No. 1: Larson/Bohlen (M) def. Whipple/Struckman (V), 6-1, 6-2; No. 2: Dahme/Smith (M) def. Dulhoff/Heles (V), 6-0, 6-3; No. 3: Jones/Roden (M) def. Sykes/Sykes (V), default.
