Total Control: Ballard Blankets Saydel on Senior Night
Ballard Defeats Saydel 11-0
The Ballard men's tennis team put together a commanding performance on Senior Night, sweeping Saydel 11–0 in a complete team effort that highlighted depth, consistency, and strong play across both singles and doubles competition. The win moved Ballard to 7–4 on the season as the team continues to build momentum late in the spring schedule.
In singles play, Ballard set the tone early and never allowed Saydel to gain traction. At the top of the lineup, Easton Ersland delivered a strong performance for Ballard, defeating Jacob McPherren 6–0, 6–2. Seth Hilleman followed with a steady 6–3, 6–0 win over Jake Buell, while Zack Ross controlled his match with a 6–1, 6–0 victory against William Gates. Cameron Allen added another straight-set win at No. 4, defeating Levi Schnell 6–0, 6–2. Chase Krogman continued the momentum with a 6–0, 6–1 win over Leland Timblin, and Kolbe Odden capped singles play with a 6–2, 6–4 victory over Mario Pleitez, giving Ballard a clean sweep across all six singles courts.
Doubles play followed a similar script, with Ballard maintaining control in nearly every matchup. Ersland and Hilleman teamed up to defeat McPherren and Timblin 6–1, 6–1, while Ross and Allen handled Buell and Gates 6–2, 6–0. Peterson and Fleischmann added another win with a 6–4, 6–2 result over Schnell and Pleitez. In another strong showing, Dylon Marks and Johannes Nop rolled past Hummell and Stone 6–1, 6–1.
The most competitive match of the night came at No. 5 doubles, where Nathan Walterbach and Matthew McGuire battled Calvin Moss and Jackson Smith in a three-set contest. After dropping the first set 1–6, the Ballard duo responded with a 6–4 second set and dominated the super tiebreak 10–2 to close out the clean sweep.
The evening also served as Senior Night, honoring Ballard's upperclassmen for their contributions to the program.
With the 11–0 win, Ballard improves to 7–4 and now turns its attention to a busy upcoming home schedule. The team will host Waverly-Shell Rock and North Polk on May 14 at 2:00 PM in a key double dual that will help shape the late-season standings.
