ROCHELLE — Junior Merit Namaste-Rose medaled in third place at No. 2 singles to lead the Rochelle Lady Hub varsity tennis team during Saturday’s Interstate 8 Conference tournament.

Namaste-Rose went 2-1 over three matches to receive an All-Conference Honorable Mention this season. Namaste-Rose opened the tournament with a three-set victory against Ottawa’s Yaquelin Hernandez-Solis, outlasting the Pirate netter for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 win in the first round. After falling 0-6, 0-6 against Morris’ Meghan Bzdill in the semifinals, Namaste-Rose bounced back with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 sweep against Kaneland’s Lauren Babka to clinch third place.

Seniors Erin Murphy and Catherine Williams took fourth at No. 1 doubles for the Lady Hubs, who finished fifth out of six schools with 12 points in the tournament. Murphy and Williams opened the tournament with a victory, knocking off the No. 4 seeded Ottawa duo of Rylee Harsted and Brooklyn Byone 6-4, 6-1. The Rochelle netters faced Morris’ Julia Borgstrom and Skyler Salens in the semifinals, conceding a 3-6, 1-6 defeat before bowing out of the tournament with a 3-6, 2-6 loss to LaSalle-Peru’s duo of Elena Leone and Cali Mickley.

Seniors Lauren Dyer and Abby Metzger placed fourth at No. 2 doubles. Dyer and Metzger started the tournament with a win, cruising for a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Kaneland’s Jade Lee and Hannah Gianetto in the first round. The Lady Hubs fell to LaSalle-Peru’s Izzy Pecchio and Kylee Halm 4-6, 0-6 in the semifinals before coming up just short in the third-place match, where the girls fell 5-7, 4-6 against Sycamore’s Taylor Zemanek and Peyton Wright.

Seniors Sydney Carmichael and Natalie Wagner took fifth at No. 3 doubles. The Rochelle duo began the tournament with an opening-round loss against Ottawa’s Perla Gutierrez and Laurel Fisher. Carmichael and Wagner recovered with a victory in the fifth-place match, where the Lady Hub combo united for a 6-3, 6-1 win against Kaneland netters Ella Bischoff and Joee Goc.

Senior Yaretzi Villalobos placed sixth at No. 1 singles, falling 0-6, 0-6 against Ottawa’s Zulee Moreland before conceding a 1-6, 1-6 loss against Sycamore’s Regan O’Sullivan. The Lady Hubs will return to action for the IHSA 1A Rochelle Sectional this coming Friday and Saturday.