Tennis team defeats Minico

The Mountain Home Tiger tennis team dropped tennis matches to Nampa and Kuna last week, but bounced back to beat Minico to cap off the week with a win.

Nampa 8

Tigers 4

The Tigers hosted the Nampa Bulldogs last Monday at the airbase, and after battling for over five hours, lost 8-4.

Mountain Home picked up wins in the number two and three girls singles, as Christina Gutierrez won 6-2, 6-4, and Jessica Lewis won at #3, 6-1, 7-5. Michelle Wallior and Tana Brandenburg won a two-hour-plus match, 2-6, 7-6, 7-6.

The fourth win of the day from Mountain Home came from the #2 mixed doubles team, as Kyle Clark and Angelina Garcia won 6-3, 6-1.

Tiger tennis coach Tamzy House was pleased with the improvement her team showed against Nampa.

"Overall I was pleased with our opening match. Last year our team went 1-11 against Nampa at the beginning of the season, winning just 22 percent of 171 games played. This year the players were able to force Nampa into more games to win a set, resulting in the Tigers winning 43 percent of 243 games played."

Kuna 12

Tigers 0

The Tigers hosted Kuna at the airbase last Thursday and were blanked 12-0 by the Kavemen.

"The Kuna team has greatly increased their skill level with the addition of new players and a lot of hard work," said Coach House. "Our players fought and scrapped down to the last point with several close matches, but it came down to who got the winner in and who missed at the net, and we just could not close out any of the matches. We did get one close three-setter at the #2 mixed doubles.

Tigers 10

Minico 2

The Tigers closed out the week with a 10-2, six-hour non-conference win over Minico last Friday. The two teams were evenly matched, with seven of the 12 matches going three sets, with Mountain Home winning six of the seven three-setters.

"I was very proud of the team," said Coach House.

"Everybody dug deep into their inner core and found the zone -- as we say in the tennis world -- and pulled out wins."

Mountain Home swept the boys singles, Jordan Niksich winning #1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, Joey Miller winning #2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, and Ricky Guadarramma winning by forfeit. Jessica Lewis won the #2 girls singles, 7-5, 0-6, 7-5, and Lauren Borgholthaus won #3, 6-1, 6-2.

The Tigers swept the boys doubles, Keth Galloway and Thomas Martin winning #1, 6-1, 2-6, 6-6-4, and Keenan Galloway and Bryan Walsh taking the #2 doubles, 6-1, 6-2.

Lindsay Kellerman and Michelle Wallior won the #2 girls doubles, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

Mountain Home swept the mixed doubles, Kyle Clark and Angelina Garcia winning 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, and Matthew Ward and Caroline Lytle taking the #2 match, 6-1, 6-1.

TIGER JV BEATS NAMPA, 4-2

The JV Tigers won their season opener against Nampa, winning 4-2 at the city courts. All matches were played as 8-game pro sets.

Andrew Martin won his singles match, 8-4. Bradshaw West won his boys singles match, 9-7. Casey Stevens and Gabe Stephens won their boys doubles match, 8-5.

Jennifer Juarez won her first singles match in a tie-breaker.

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The Tigers traveled to Columbia for a conference match on Monday, and are home against Skyview at the airbase courts (JV plays in town) on Thursday starting at 4 p.m.