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Sofie Figurelli

Senior co-captain Grant Angelbeck scores a point against the Blue Devils in the two singles match. Angelbeck, who won his sets 6-1 and 6-0, said that he is “looking forward to improving my consistency throughout this season.”

On Tuesday, April 23, the varsity boys tennis team won their home conference competition against the Warren Township Blue Devils, winning eight matchups.

Despite facing possible roadblocks, including a light drizzle, windy day and tough competition, the Wildcats took home the win.

“Today was a kind of typical [match] against Warren,” Head Coach Dan Kiernan said. “It’s always tough against Warren. They’re a good team.”

By taking an early lead, freshman Chase Peirce took on first singles, where he won both sets 6-0, 6-1.

“He’s a freshman, and he’s playing [first] singles, which is a challenging spot for us, for anybody,” Coach Kiernan said. “He’s handling it pretty well. [He had] a nice match today.”

Additionally, senior co-captain Grant Angelbeck played second singles, where he got the win in his first two sets with scores of 6-1 and 6-0. With fast serves and aggressive shots from the baseline, Angelbeck played strategically using both strength and skill. For many points, he won by strategically going to the net and getting in position to win using his volleys.

“I thought the match point where I hit that backhand volley was pretty cool,” Angelbeck said.

Coach Kiernan was impressed with both these games.

“Our singles have been doing very well all year,” Coach Kiernan said.

Alongside singles, the team won four of their doubles matches as well.

Junior co-captain Jack Gerber and sophomore Chethan Nickerson played first doubles. The match score started off close, with both teams playing strategically and scoring. The Libertyville doubles team ultimately won in their first two sets 6-4 and 6-3.

“I thought Jack and I went out there and delivered a pretty good performance,” Nickerson said. “We didn’t play to the best of our abilities, but we played consistently and used the right strategies against our opponents.”

This match included exciting moments and challenges for both sides.

“I’d say the biggest highlight of the match was when we sent the opponents a nice drop shot and he went through the nest post, around the net to hit a winner,” Nickerson said. “It was really impressive to watch.”

Throughout the game, Nickerson and Gerber were seen communicating through brief chats and high-fives as they switched positions on the court.

“My partner, [Chethan], is my rock out there and he keeps me motivated and pumped up,” Gerber, who has been on varsity since freshman year, said. “I do the same for him.”

Another engaging point happened in the second set, when the score was at 3-2. All members from both sides engaged in a rally of volleys. Each player got up to the net and consistently managed to return each shot successfully. This rally ended with Libertyville hitting a shot down the line, which Warren missed.

Overall, the match was filled with many action packed moments which resulted in an interesting evening. The team will next play against the Stevenson Patriots in a home match on Thursday, April 25.

“We’re having a good season,” Gerber said. “We’ll have some fun [at our next match].”