Cardinals’ tennis debut delayed by Lightning | News, Sports, Jobs

BACKHAND RETURN – Fairmont’s Olivia Ortega stretches out to connect on a backhand return near the baseline during third singles tennis action against Worthington during Tuesday’s season-opening Big South Conference dual meet at the Cardinal Courts in Fairmont. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

FAIRMONT – Mid-April weather wreaked havoc from beginning to end upon the Fairmont Cardinal tennis team’s season-opening dual meet against Big South Conference opponent Worthington on Tuesday.

After mid-morning rain pelted the Cardinal Courts, Fairmont tennis coaches Eric Johnson and Laura Olsen and the Cardinals’ roster squeegeed the Cardinal Courts prior to the afternoon competition.

With only two courts considered playable by the coaching staffs, Fairmont’s Olivia Ortega squared off against Ezra Bonnett in a third singles match, while the Hometown team sent Simone Castro and Wylee Frederiksen against Levi Kuhl and Jacob Ahrenstorff in second doubles play.

Bonnett, the smooth-hitting left-hander, grabbed the 3-0 opening-set lead over Ortega before she battled back to split the next two games.

Bonnett went on to post a 6-1 first-set Victory before building a 4-0 lead in the second segment, but Lightning and a weather alert for a tornado watch for Martin County forced the dual meet to be postponed at that juncture.

Kuhl and Ahrenstorff defeated Castro and Frederiksen in their doubles clash’s first set, 6-0, and led by a 3-0 margin in the second segment before exiting the courts.

Due to illness and injuries on Fairmont’s roster, Worthington held a 2-0 lead on the team Ledger as the Trojans’ No. 4 singles player David Sternke and the No. 3 doubles tandem of Steven Adams and Matthew Becker each received forfeits.

The conference dual meet will be rescheduled for a later date in Fairmont, and will pick up where it left off.

Fairmont’s Jack Hagen will play at first singles against Worthington’s Alec Langerud, while the Cardinals ‘Noah Vetter will square off against the Trojans’ Ian Barber in a No. 2 singles match.

Carter Quist and Dominick Lund-May will represent Fairmont at No. 1 doubles against Quentin Burns and Tyson Henkels.

Fairmont travels to New Ulm on Monday for a 4:30 pm league dual meet, while Worthington plays host to nonconference opponent Montevideo on Monday.