By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
DOWAGIAC – Visiting Niles and Dowagiac played a very competitive match in girls' tennis Monday afternoon at the Dowagiac Middle School.
The Lady Vikings came away with a 5-3 victory in the varsity match, while the junior varsity teams played to a 4-4 draw.
Dowagiac won three out of four singles flights, while Niles swept the doubles flights to pull out the win in the varsity match.
Winning matches for the Chieftains were Elizabeth Kolden at No. 2 singles, Ami Sarao at No. 3 singles and Macy Howard at No. 4 singles.
Niles' lone singles victory came at No. 1 where Rachel Horn defeated Michelle Urbanski.
Lena Cramer and April Lee picked up the win for the Lady Vikings at No. 1 doubles, while Ali Landgraft and Katie Bourbonnais won in three sets at No. 2 doubles over Dowagiac's Kaitlyn Tyrakowski and Kristan Stelmasiak, 3-6, 6-2 and 6-3.
At No. 3 doubles, Niles' Meg Hein and Lauren Girvin were straight set winners, while at No. 4 doubles, Jessica Bartocci and Sarah Rouse also won in straight sets.
In junior varsity action, Dowagiac swept the singles flights and Niles took all four doubles flight to force the tie.
Niles…5
Dowagiac…3
Singles
1. Rachel Horn (N) d. Michelle Urbanski 7-5, 6-2; 2. Elizabeth Kolden (D) d. Sara Stenstrom 6-2, 7-5; 3. Ami Sarao (D) d. Kyra Carpenter 6-1, 6-4; 4. Macy Howard (D) d. Angeles Palma 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
1. Lena Cramer/April Lee (N) d. Tonya Scherer/Jessica Robinson 6-2, 6-3; 2. Ali Landgraf/Katie Bourbonnais (N) d. Kaitlyn Tyrakowski/Kristan Stelmasiak 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; 3. Meg Hein/Lauren Girvin (N) d. Alex Schuster/Alyssa Greenwood 6-2, 6-4; 4. Jessica Bartocci/Sarah Rouse (N) d. Jessica Hargett/Christina Hamacher 6-0, 6-4
Niles JV…4
Dowagiac JV…4
Singles
1. Marquira Smith (D) d. Courtney Molnar 8-1; 2. Breneesha Jones (D) d. Victoria Woods 8-2; 3. Michele Dowset (D) d. Bianca Vann 8-0; 4. Carloe Kumin (D) d. Tearah Hutchinson 8-3
Doubles
1. Hayley Davis/Megan Ireland (N) d. Casey Collins/Tori Gaideski 8-0; 2. Chelsea Paturalski/Rachel Uwase (N) d. Shannon Keene/Emily Means 8-2; 3. Nicole Martin/Courtney Fleeker-Holmes (N) d. Megan Corey/Rachel Petro (N/A); 4. Abigail Stickney/Liz Vann (N) d. Yeejee Kim/Christina Sagra 8-3