Hubs tennis team edges Belvidere North

Rochelle boys win home opener 4-3

Russell Hodges
Posted 4/1/18

The combination of some blistery winds and the chilly spring air didn’t prevent the Hubs varsity tennis team from swinging hot rackets when the Rochelle boys took on Belvidere North in their first home match of the season Monday evening.

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Hubs tennis team edges Belvidere North

Rochelle boys win home opener 4-3

Posted

ROCHELLE — The combination of some blistery winds and the chilly spring air didn’t prevent the Hubs varsity tennis team from swinging hot rackets when the Rochelle boys took on Belvidere North in their first home match of the season Monday evening.

With three singles matches and four doubles matches to play, the Hubs locked down two victories in both categories to seal a 4-3 team win over Belvidere North. After starting the season with a 4-1 loss at Mendota this past week, Rochelle head coach Kristy Eckardt was excited to see her boys rebound for their first win of the year.

“Belvidere North is known to have a very strong tennis team,” Eckardt said. “They won the sectional hands down last year, but we never know what’s going to happen when we come into a new season. We played really well up and down the lineup and we got some key wins from our No. 3 singles and No. 4 doubles players.”

Seniors Noah Griffith, Kevin Zheng and sophomore James Doering represented Rochelle in singles play. Griffith took the court at No. 1 singles, and he overcame a late rally by Belvidere North’s Tommy Linkenheld to win the match in straight sets by a score of 6-3, 6-4. Griffith scored Rochelle’s lone point against Mendota this past week.

“Noah was pretty much in control,” Eckardt said. “It became pretty close during the second set and there came a point where he could’ve let Tommy back into the match. But he put his foot on the gas and finished the match off, and it was good to see Noah not let any nerves get the better of him.”

Zheng locked into a tight first set with Blue Thunder player Matt Ripplinger at No. 2 singles, but Ripplinger emerged victorious before rebounding with a strong second set to defeat Zheng 6-4, 6-2. Doering’s match with Belvidere Norths’s Austin Biel at No. 3 singles went down to the wire, with Doering edging Biel 6-4, 7-5 to net Rochelle a much-needed point.

“We feel we can put James wherever we need him,” Eckardt said. “He’s going to work hard and today was definitely a fun win for him.”

Rochelle lost at No. 1 doubles on Monday, with Belvidere North’s Jonathan Bratter and Ethan Maina defeating Hub juniors Chris Jones and Hector Garcia by a score of 6-3, 7-5. But the Hubs bounced back with a victory at No. 2 doubles from junior Emilio Nava and sophomore Sean Flanagan, who topped Blue Thunder duo Josh Sattler and Erick Aguilar 7-5, 6-3.

“That was the first time Sean and Emilio had played together,” Eckardt said. “It was nice to see how they reacted, and today was Sean’s first-ever meet. I think they did a nice job working together and I thought they balanced each other out well. Sean’s really athletic and he was getting his shots in.”

Belvidere North took the matchup at No. 3 doubles behind Adam Belinson and Zane Hathaway, who bested Rochelle sophomore Alexis Quintanilla and senior Ozzy Fulgencio by a score of 6-2, 6-3. Monday’s final match point went to Rochelle junior Diego Lopez and sophomore Gabriel Nava, who battled and beat Belvidere North at No. 4 doubles by a score of 6-2, 6-2.

The Hubs are now 1-1 overall and their next match will be played at Yorkville on Thursday, April 5 at 4:30 p.m.