The #4 ranked (#2 seed) Crookston Pirate Girls Tennis team came to Fargo ready to play as they beat the Roseau Rams 7-0 in the first round before beating Thief River Falls 5-2 in the semi-finals to advance to the Section 8A Championship in matches played at Fargo Courts Plus.
CROOKSTON VS Roseau –
Crookston started the section tournament by looking like the defending Section 8A champion as they played some great tennis on their way to a 7-0 victory over Roseau. “The girls stepped on the court ready to play today,” said Pirate Coach Gina Gunderson. “They were motivated and it showed. We have had really good practices this week.”
Ashlyn Bailey won at first singles 6-1, 6-3.
At second singles, Paige Abrahamson coasted to a 6-2, 6-0 victory.
Ava Martin won an exciting first set 7-5 and won another tight set in the second set 6-3 to win the third singles match.
Crookston’s Emelia Hoerner continued her mastery at fourth singles as they won 6-2, 6-3 to sweep the singles matches.
Crookston’s first doubles team of Kaylie Clauson and Addie Fee were ready to roll as they shutout their opponents 6-0, 6-0.
At second doubles, Georgia Sanders and Logan Brekken continued their outstanding play as they won their match 6-2, 6-0.
The third doubles team of Chloe Boll and Emma LaPlante have really picked up their play in the second half of the season. Boll swam last year and went to state in two events. She has her tennis legs now and LaPlante played volleyball and this year is playing volleyball and tennis and she has picked up her game in the second half of the season too. The girls won a tight first set 7-5, but finished the match strong with a 6-2 victory to complete the sweep of the Rams for a 7-0 victory. “Roseau is always a fun team to play because they are always competitive,” said Coach Gunderson. “They are good sports and well-rounded players.” The Pirates play Thief River Falls in the semi-finals. (Story below)
| CROOKSTON-7 | Roseau-0 | Win | Score | |
| 1st | Ashlyn Bailey | Bailey Strunk | Crox | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2nd | Paige Abrahamson | Abby Swanson | Crox | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 3rd | Ava Martin | Dakota Dunham | Crox | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 4th | Emelia Hoerner | Rachelle Dunham | Crox | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 1st Dub | Kaylie Clauson Addie Fee | Lindsey Vistad Ava Holmgren | Crox | 6-0, 6-0 |
| 2nd | Georgia Sanders Logan Brekken | Bryn Wilson Josephine Hinson | Crox | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 3rd | Chloe Boll Emma LaPlante | Audrie Lee Lizzy Kennedy | Crox | 7-5, 6-2 |
CROOKSTON VS THIEF RIVER FALLS –
Crookston continued their stellar play as they beat the Thief River Falls Prowlers 5-2 to advance to the Section 8A Championship on Friday morning. “We spent all day at the tennis center and I was a little worried,” said Coach Gunderson. “They bounced back and had some food in between matches and they were ready to go.”
The first four matches complete were all Pirate victories.
The first match complete was third singles as Crookston’s Paige Abrahamson made quick work of her opponent and cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 victory for a 1-0 Pirate lead. “Paige had a great match and came out ready to play some great tennis,” said Coach Gunderson.
The second match to finish was the second singles match, with Crookston’s Ashlyn Bailey pitching a shutout to win 6-0, 6-0. “Ashlyn played well,” said Coach Gunderson. “She had some great serves and played an overall great match.”
The next completed match was at third doubles as Chloe Boll and Emma LaPlante won a good battle 6-4, 6-3 for a 2-0 lead. “They started off a little slow,” said Coach Gunderson. “They were able to bounce back and finish strong for the win.”
The fourth match completed was Emelia Hoerner at fourth singles as she outlasted her opponent for a 6-3, 6-2 victory for a 4-0 lead and the Pirates officially won the match. “Emelia started slow but kept playing better as the match went along for a big win,” said Coach Gunderson.
The three matches still out on the courts wrapped up in the next 45 minutes. The first doubles match was the next match complete as Addie Fee and Georgia Sanders playing a great match to beat Piper Green and Brianne Ellison 6-3, 6-1. “They were tough and came out ready to play today,” said Coach Gunderson. “The started strong and finished strong.”
The final two matches were won by Thief River Falls with the second doubles team falling 6-3, 6-3 and Kaylie Clauson played a great match even though the score doesn’t show it in a 6-0, 6-2 loss. “Kaylie played a tough match,” said Coach Gunderson. “She played well, but ran into a very good player today.”
Crookston won the match 5-2 and will play Staples-Motley for the third straight year in the Section 8A Championship. Staples-Motley won two years ago and Crookston won last year. The championship starts at 10:00 a.m. “It should be a great match and the girls are looking forward to playing in the morning,” said Coach Gunderson.
| CROOKSTON- | Thief River Falls– | Winner | Score | |
| 1st | Kaylie Clauson | Braylee Wienen | TRF | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 2nd | Ashlyn Bailey | Anna Lunsetter | Crox | 6-0, 6-0 |
| 3rd | Paige Abrahamson | Olivia Schuster | Crox | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 4th | Emelia Hoerner | Tegan Pray | Crox | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1st Dub | Addie Fee Georgia Sanders | Piper Green Brianne Ellison | Crox | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 2nd | Ava Martin Logan Brekken | Kaitlyn Kruse Jerlyn Lunsetter | TRF | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 3rd | Chloe Boll Emma LaPlante | Raya Dahlin Sam Rodahl | Crox | 6-3, 6-4 |
