NHS girls tennis on win streak

With two more dominant performances last week to close out the regular season, the Niwot High School girls tennis team has all the momentum it needs rolling into the 4A Region 5 championship.

The latest victims of the Cougars’ current winning streak were Valor Christian at home last Monday and at Greeley Central last Tuesday.

Against Valor Christian, all three singles competitors won in straight sets, led by dominant sophomore Julia Pentz who won her one singles match 6-2, 6-0.

For the doubles teams, the one doubles team of senior Emma Lerner and junior Amanda Duquette and the two doubles team of sophomores Erin O’Neill and Jewel Ng both won in straight sets. Neither doubles team has lost now in six straight matches.

It was a complete win for Niwot against their last league opponent in Greeley Central, as they took the match 7-0.

The singles competitors only dropped five total games in the match, while winning 36. Sophomore Taylor Thulson won her two singles match 6-0, 6-1, while freshman Rachel Drake won her sixth straight three singles match 6-2, 6-0.

Every doubles team won its match in straight sets except for the four doubles pairing of freshmen Yui Ishikawa and Sreeya Kairamkonda, who dropped their first set 2-6 but rallied back to win the next two, 6-4, 6-2.

The Cougars now prepares to start the 4A Region 5 championships and hopes to carry all the momentum they have built with them. The regional championships start Wednesday, May 4 and go through Thursday, May 5.

Niwot 5, Valor Christian 2

1 Singles: Julia Pentz, Niwot (So.) Def. Darby Warburton Valor Christian (So.) 6-2, 6-0.

2 Singles: Taylor Thulson, Niwot (So) Def. Tiffany Parobek Valor Christian (Jr.) 6-1, 6-3.

3 Singles: Rachel Drake, Niwot (Fr.) Def. Mikayla McDuff Valor Christian (Sr.) 6-2, 6-4.

1 Doubles: Amanda Duquette (Jr.) & Emma Lerner (Sr.), Niwot Def. Lexie Quail (Sr.) &

Elizabeth Jones (Jr.) Valor Christian 6-1, 6-3.

2 Doubles: Erin O’Neill (So.) & Jewel Ng (So.), Niwot Def. Julianne Swayze (Sr.) &

Amanda Dungan (Sr.) Valor Christian 6-2, 6-2.

3 Doubles: Sophia Hazelton (Jr.) & Marguerite Keegan (Fr.) Valor Christian Def. Katie Ziel (Sr.) & Sophie Vandenberghe (Jr.), Niwot 6-0, 6-2.

4 Doubles: Mary Hertel (Fr.) & Samantha Chavez (So.) Valor Christian Def. Yui Ishikawa (So.) & Sreeya Kairamkonda (Fr.), Niwot 6-1, 6-3.

Niwot 7, Greeley Central 0

1 Singles: Julia Pentz, Niwot (So.) Def. Morgan Smith Greeley Central (Sr.) 6-1, 6-1.

2 Singles: Taylor Thulson, Niwot (So) Def. Lydia Burden Greeley Central (So.) 6-0, 6-1.

3 Singles: Rachel Drake, Niwot (Fr.) Def. Sophie Pell (Jr.) 6-2, 6-0.

1 Doubles: Amanda Duquette (Jr.) & Emma Lerner (Sr.), Niwot Def. Rachel Krieger (Sr.) &

Ashlyn Twing (Jr.) Greeley Central 6-2, 6-0.

2 Doubles: Erin O’Neill (So.) & Jewel Ng (So.), Niwot Def. Alondra Flores (Sr.) &

Sarah Gaiser (Sr.) Greeley Central 7-5, 6-1.

3 Doubles: Sophie Vandenberghe (Jr.) & Katie Ziel (Sr.), Niwot Def. Erinn Gonzales (Sr.) &

Diana Vasquez (Sr.), Greeley Central 6-4, 6-1.

4 Doubles: Yui Ishikawa (So.) & Sreeya Kairamkonda (Fr.), Niwot Def. Alyssa Joseph (So.) &

Hattie Sheets (Fr.), Greeley Central 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.