WHAT HAPPENED:

The Grand Haven boys varsity tennis team hosted a home Tri-match on Wednesday, Oct. 3, playing against Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Whitehall. The Bucs defeated both teams in a lopsided event, 6-2 and 5-3 respectively.

WHAT IT MEANS:

The squad won an important match before heading to the O-K Red conference meet in Hudsonville, creating momentum they want to maintain heading toward the postseason.

KEY MOMENT:

The team faced harsh conditions, dealing with strong winds and intense humidity. As the match continued, the darkness played a factor in the completion of the games, with senior Chris Akselberg and junior Weston Taylor playing crucial tiebreakers as the night went on.

THREE STARS:

• First star: Junior Noah Bachman. Bachmann won his singles clash 6-0, 6-0 against the Cougars and 6-0, 6-0 against the Vikings. One of the stars for the group, the junior dominated his opponents and continues his success he’s had all season.
• Second star: Weston Taylor. Taylor finished his singles matchup with a win 7-6, 6-3, and the tiebreaker at 7-2. He competed in a tough game, which was critical for the team to win their matchup.
• Third star: Chris Akselberg. He ended the night with a 6-4, 6-4 win against the Cougars and a 10-7 tiebreaker win against the Vikings. Along with Taylor, Akselberg helped to clinch the victory needed under challenging conditions.

THEY SAID IT:

“I feel the team played really well today and hopefully we can bring that to conference [tournament] coming up,” Taylor said.

UP NEXT:

The Bucs travel to Hudsonville to take on their important O-K Red conference meet on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 8 a.m.