FARGO -- The Dickinson High girls tennis team had double duty going at the Fargo Invitational.
The Midgets played two of their best matches this season, but both were losses. They fell to Fargo South 3-2 and Fargo Shanley 3-2 on Friday.
"It was really nice to see the girls come out and compete against two really good teams from the eastern conference," Dickinson head coach James Kramer said. "It was, by far, the two best matches of the year for us."
Dickinson's doubles teams went 4-0 against its opponents, while the singles were 0-6. The format for the team competition in the invitational was three singles and two doubles. This is the same format that is used during the team competition during the West Region and Class A Tournaments.
"The doubles played very well," Kramer said. "In the 3-2 format, we put some of our strength in our doubles and that showed up."
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Brooke Lietzke and Mariah Jorda defeated Fargo South's Isabel Thiner and Jessica McNatt, 6-0, 6-2 in No. 1 doubles. In No. 2 doubles, Sydney Smutzler and Alex Simonieg defeated Rachel Aabye and Maddie Schultz, 6-1, 6-4.
During the Fargo Shanley matches, Smutzler and Simonieg teamed up to defeat Sarah Fletcher and Kennedy Stromme 6-3, 3-6, 11-9, while Jorda and Meryl Kovacs beat Madeline Frei and Josie Perhus, 6-2, 6-0.
Though the singles didn't win any matches, Kramer saw two against Shanley get to a third set tiebreaker.
"From today's standpoint, it's looking at different team lineups in a sense of how we might put together our team lineup next week for WDA," Kramer said. "For the individual side, it's getting matches in and working on certain aspects of their game."
The Midgets continue the Fargo Invitational with the individual competition today.
"I think it's a matter of progressing each day," Kramer said. "Winning breeds confidence and some of the girls got a taste of winning. (Today) will be the telltale sign of how they react and play."
Fargo South 3, Dickinson 2
Singles: 1, Karen Moe, FS, def. Lindsey Bakken, 6-0, 6-0. 2, Anna Lawley, FS, def. ReAnna Peterson, 6-3, 6-0. 3, Anna Diederich, FS, def. Meryl Kovacs, 6-1, 6-2.
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Doubles: 1, Brooke Lietzke/Mariah Jorda, D, def. Isabel Thiner/Jessica McNatt, 6-0, 6-2. 2, Sydney Smutzler/Alex Simonieg, D, def. Rachel Aabye/Maddie Schultz, 6-1, 6-4.
Fargo Shanley 3, Dickinson 2
Singles: Olivia Keelin, FS, def. Lietzke, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 13-12. 2, Jessica Nellermoe, FS, def. Bakken, 6-2, 6-1. 3, Theresa Carson, FS, def. ReAnna Peterson, 6-4, 5-7, 10-6.
Doubles: 1, Smutzler/Simonieg, D, def. Sarah Fletcher/Kennedy Stromme 6-3, 3-6, 11-9. 2, Jorda/Kovacs, D, def. Madeline Frei/Josie Perhus, 6-2, 6-0.
