‘Every player in the lineup stepped up’: Jaguars avenge April loss to Ankeny girls

Ankeny Centennial’s Natalie Carr (right) meets at the net with Ankeny’s Brynn Blume following their No. 6 singles match during Thursday’s meet at the Prairie Ridge courts. Carr posted a 6-0, 6-0 win to help the Jaguars to an 11-0 victory. (Photo by Dan Holm)

Ankeny Centennial girls’ tennis coach Alli Gustafson wanted her players to commit to every point during Thursday’s meet against crosstown rival Ankeny.

The Jaguars took their coach’s message to heart.

Centennial turned in a dominating performance at the Prairie Ridge courts, sweeping all 11 matches to post an 11-0 victory over the Hawkettes. The win avenged last spring’s 8-3 loss to Ankeny.

**Ankeny’s Olivia North serves the ball during her No. 1 singles match against Ankeny Centennial’s Samara Peterson. Peterson posted a 6-2, 6-2 win. (Photo by Dan Holm)**

“The Jags had a great performance today,” said Gustafson. “We worked hard with determination and strong strategy on every court. From start to finish, every player in the lineup stepped up, committing to every point and finding ways to outplay their opponents. We had a chance to practice these things this week, so this win was an example of what happens when preparation meets execution.”

The Jaguars won all six singles matches in straight sets. Talia Baca posted a 6-2, 6-0 win over KJ Quirk at the No. 2 spot, then teamed up with Samara Peterson for another triumph at No. 1 doubles.

“Talia had a standout day, using her powerful serve and strong groundstrokes to control the pace of play in both singles and doubles,” Gustafson said. “Her confidence and consistency set the tone for a strong team effort that carried throughout the match. Overall, I am extremely proud of our team, and we had a lot of fun coming together as one town!”

**Ankeny Centennial’s Talia Baca hits a forehand return during her No. 2 singles match against Ankeny’s KJ Quirk. Baca posted a 6-2, 6-0 victory. (Photo by Dan Holm)**

The closest match of the day came at No. 5 doubles, where Ankeny’s Emily Doubleday and Jayleigh Moen forced a third-set super tiebreaker before dropping a 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (6) decision to Avery Bohnenkamp and Laura Schulz.

“It was a great day for Ankeny tennis!” said Ankeny coach Katie Owens. “We battled a tough Centennial team! The girls played close matches and continue to build on our little wins on the court! We are looking forward to our next match!”

The Jaguars improved to 1-1 in the CIML Conference and 3-2 overall. Ankeny’s records dropped to 0-2 and 0-2.

**Ankeny’s Brynn Blume hits a shot during her match against Ankeny Centennial’s Natalie Carr. (Photo by Dan Holm)**

Centennial will host a conference meet against Urbandale (2-0) on Tuesday. The Hawkettes will travel to Waukee (0-1).

Here are the match-by-match results from Thursday’s meet:

**Ankeny Centennial’s Imrie Hanson hits a backhand volley during her No. 5 singles match against Ankeny’s Rucsandra Vlad. Hanson posted a 6-3, 6-2 win. (Photo by Dan Holm)**

Ankeny Centennial 11, Ankeny 0

Singles: Peterson beat North, 6-2, 6-2; Baca beat Quirk, 6-2, 6-0; Bhat beat Doyle, 6-4, 6-0; Sutherland beat Dietrich, 7-5, 6-1; Hanson beat Vlad, 6-3, 6-2; Carr beat Blume, 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles: Peterson-Baca beat North-Quirk, 6-3, 6-2; Bhat-Sutherland beat Doyle-Dietrich, 6-3, 6-2; Hanson-Swanson beat Vlad-Blume, 6-2, 6-2; Carr-Weesner beat Hutchinson-Shanks, 6-1, 6-2; Schulz-Bohnenkamp beat Doubleday-Moen, 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (6).