AdVISORy: Warriors are playing good tennis
Girls' tennis
What was once black, is now an ugly version of brown and will disintegrate soon?
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Ask a member of the Brainerd Warriors and the answer will be Zoe Houle's visor.
Zoe Houle
Houle - sweat-stained, torn visor and all - helped the Warriors defeat Aitkin 7-0 Monday to avenge last year's 4-3 loss to the Gobblers.
Houle and Kayla Kraemer topped the formidable No. 1 doubles duo of Allie Carlson-Kaitlyn Davies 6-3, 6-3.
Warriors 7, Aitkin 0
Key: Brainerd didn't drop a set for the sweep
Overall: Brd 8-0, Ait 13-2
Next: Brainerd hosts Little Falls 4:30 p.m. Thursday; Aitkin at Mora 4:30 p.m. Thursday
While not a superstitious person, Houle wears her 1997 petitte softball hat every time she plays tennis. So routine has the gesture of putting the hat on become that her teammates wouldn't recognize her without it.
"It's weird when we don't see her with it," said No. 2 singles player Mikinzee Salo. "It kind of is a good luck charm for all of us, but we just don't know it. One day she didn't have it on and we were all trying to figure what was different about her."
Brainerd's Katie Southard checked to see where her opponents were positioned during her No. 2 doubles match Monday at Brainerd High School. The Warriors defeated the Aitkin Gobblers 7-0. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls » Purchase reprints of this photo.
Said Houle's doubles teammate: "It defines her. I couldn't see her playing a match without it. If she didn't have the hat she wouldn't be in the zone I don't think. It would just throw her off."
Houle is a practical person. She wears it because it's comfortable and it keeps the sun out of her eyes. While the fabric has withered away from the brim and the word Baxter with two bats crossing is barely visible, the velco in back is intact and so the hat remains.
"Zoe has had that thing forever," said Salo. "We keep trying to convice her to get a new one, but she just won't. It used to be black, but now it's brown and turning white."
Her teammates have threatened to buy her a new hat. The threat didn't materilize, but even if it had, the hat would remain.
"I just like wearing it," said Houle. "It's a part of who I am. A lot of people don't recognize me in the hallways because I don't have my hat on."
All of the Warriors were helped by the hat on the windy and cold Monday as every match was decided in straight sets. Taylor Headlee defeated Nicole Beneke 6-1, 6-1. Salo topped Megan Rubbelke 6-3, 6-1.
"It was hard to play and I don't think I played my best, but I tried to work through it," said Salo. "I was getting a little frustrated, but then I just kind of calmed down and just hit the ball in and worked the point a little bit better."
Salo was pleased with her serving and ground strokes, especially her back hand. The victory improved the sophomore's record, not counting the Central Lakes Conference meet, which she finished second at, to 18-1.
"We just had our CLC tournament and I think I played really good there," said Salo. "I think I'm getting better as the season goes on, which is a good thing. I don't want to be getting worse. I'm happy with how I'm doing now."
Briana Rademacher won at No. 3 singles and Mackayla Headlee captured No. 4 singles.
Houle-Kraemer improved to 10-2 together with their victory at No. 1 doubles.
"I told Kayla, after we were down 0-3, that it now has turned into whoever doesn't let the wind bother them," said Houle. "We kind of stepped it up and beat them 6-3 in that first set."
Kathryn Southard-Samantha Kletscher won at No. 2 doubles and Courtney Tusler-Kathryn Chandler finished the sweep with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 3 doubles.
"We were really kind of mad after last year's loss," said Salo. "We really wanted to beat them this year and we didn't want to let that happen again this year. We were ready."
Brainerd 7, Aitkin 0
Singles
No. 1: Taylor Headlee (Brd) def. Nicole Beneke 6-1, 6-1
No. 2: Mikinzee Salo (Brd) def. Megan Rubbelke 6-3, 6-1
No. 3: Briana Rademacher (Brd) def. Tori Sundholm 6-1, 6-1
No. 4: Mackayla Headlee (Brd) def. Kaija Fossum 7-5, 6-0
Doubles
No. 1: Zoe Houle-Kayla Kraemer (Brd) def. Allie Carlson-Kaitlyn Davies 6-3, 6-3
No. 2: Samantha Kletscher-Kathryn Southard (Brd) def. Elizabeth Mattson-Anna Browning 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)
No. 3: Courtney Tusler-Kathryn Chandler (Brd) def. Hannah Spicer-Kaitlin Konsor 6-1, 6-2
JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.