Published: Oct. 17, 2013
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Sports Editor
Many coaches would love to be in Laura Vraney’s shoes for
the coming years.
Vraney’s top-three singles players at West Bend East went a
combined 69-10 this season and all are freshmen, led by Lexi Keberle, who went
25-0 this season at No. 1 singles.
“I’m very lucky, especially considering you have West Bend
East and West Bend West,” Vraney said. “I mean if their birthdays were
different or whatever it could be, they’d be at West Bend West.
“I’m very blessed that we’ve got five really talented
freshmen.”
Unfortunately, with the way the WIAA sets up its individual
state tennis tournament, only the top two flights of singles and the top flight
of doubles advance to state. In rare occurrences, a No. 3 singles player could
go to state, but it’s rare.
Keberle and Melina Schaetz will represent the Suns when the
WIAA girls tennis individual state tournament starts today and ends Saturday at
the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison after winning last week’s Neenah
Sectional at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively.
“On most other teams, Melina would probably play No. 1
singles,” Vraney said after the sectional. “It just happens that she’s behind
Lexi.
“This is really an awesome opportunity for her. I’m really
excited just for her to have the opportunity as a freshman to do that and have
that experience.”
East will also be represented at No. 1 doubles as Lizzy
Bensen and Hailee Dassow received a special qualifier spot at state.
The odd girl out was Meredith Vande Zande.
Vande Zande played No. 3 singles this year for the Suns. She
took third at the sectional and finished with a 20-7 record.
Vande Zande is not far from being able to play at No. 1 or
No. 2 singles or doubles. She only lacked experience compared to Keberle and
Schaetz, but not by much.
“I think in another year I think she will be able to compete
at that level,” Vraney said, adding Vande Zande won the No. 2 singles flight at
a tournament in Cedarburg this season.
The Suns are slated to have their top three singles players
and top two doubles back for next season. Thus it leaves no opening for a
player such as Vande Zande to make it to state.
Vraney is disappointed about that, but said her hands are
tied with the amount of talent she has in the program, a team that sent six of
seven flights to the sectional this year.
East’s top-five flights went a combined 102-30.
The Suns’ only losses to graduation will be Emily Fahrenkrug
(No. 4 singles) and Ashley Liebner (No. 3 doubles).
“The lineup will probably be very similar next year,” Vraney
said. “The future looks really good for West Bend East the next three years.”
This season, the Suns won the Wisconsin Little Ten
Conference championship for the first time since splitting it with Slinger in
2007. East last won the WLT outright in 2006.
“It’s really exciting; it’s really nice to have that
security,” Schaetz said.
At state, Schaetz, who went 24-3 this season, will face New
Richmond’s Mattie Kidder (20-6) at noon today. The winner will face Keberle at
7 p.m. today. Keberle is the No. 2 seed in the tournament, behind only
Homestead’s Elizabeth Konon (25-0). Konon is the two-time defending singles
champion.
East has never had a state tennis champion.
Dassow and Bensen (16-10) will face Appleton North’s Kitt
Richards and Natalie Sheu (8-5) at 1:30 p.m. today in a rematch.
Dassow and Bensen lost a close match at the sectional to
Richards and Sheu, 6-4, 7-6 (6).
Vraney wasn’t worried about the possibility of getting or
not getting a special qualifier for Dassow and Bensen as Richards and Sheu went
on to finish fourth at the sectional.
Vraney said those players for Appleton North were two
singles players converted to doubles.
“They’ve had a great season,” Vraney said of Dassow and
Bensen.
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