VW competes at WBL tennis tournament

Van Wert independent sports

ELIDA – Allie Etter was Van Wert’s highest finisher at the Western Buckeye League tennis tournament in Elida on Saturday.

Shawnee’s Kunmi Ojo defeated Etter, 6-1, 6-1 in Saturday’s semifinal match, but the Cougar senior bounced back to finish third with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Madison Snider of Wapakoneta.

At second singles, Van Wert’s Grace Lott finished fourth after a hard fought loss to Ottawa-Glandorf’s Sami Ellerbrock, who posted a 6-2, 2-6, 7-3 (3) victory.

Alyse Balbaugh of Ottawa-Glandorf took third place honors with a 6-2, 6-4 third singles win over Van Wert’s Lizzie Rutkowski. The first doubles team of Sophie Rutkowski and Natalie Benner finished fifth with an 8-6 eight-game pro set format against Ottawa-Glandorf’s Megan Ketner and lauryn Bockrath, and the second doubles team of Jamie Burenga and Tayzia Havill also finished fifth with an 8-2 pro set win over Marlo Harter and Taylor Crates of Elida.

Van Wert finished fourth in the WBL regular season standings, fourth in the tournament and fourth in the final standings. Bath swept to the title by finishing first in all three categories.