Eagle tennis smashes MCW

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- The new doubles duo of Mike Maki and Josh Hillesheim won one of the five matches that did not allow Martin County West a point en route to New Ulm's 7-0 nonconference win Friday.

The No. 2 doubles team has only played five matches together, but they have adjusted to the change and are now 3-2, losing only to the two Mankato schools.

"I've been playing with the same partner since seventh grade -- we just knew what each other do," Maki said. "It took a while to get on the same page.

"We've been hitting the ball and putting it in play well, not making unforced errors," Maki said. "We've been better at coming up to the net together and putting points away."

Maki and Hillesheim and some of the other Eagles players took advantage of the lopsided match to do some of the things that they have been working on in practice.

The doubles team, as well as No. 4 singles player Phil Dirlam, who also won 6-0 and 6-0, said they all tried to work on their approach shots and volleys -- hitting the ball deep and going to the net directly after the shot.

"We hit their backhand more and we got to the net right away," Hillesheim said. "Then we waited for a soft one and smashed it."

Dirlam thought that playing a match with less pressure was a nice interlude between a tight St. James match Thursday and two high-intensity games to be played Monday and Tuesday against Shakopee and South Central Conference rival Waseca.

"[At St. James] a lot of the matches were close, but we managed to come away with the win," Dirlam said. "It's good to have a little bit of a break before some tough matches. Waseca is one team we'd like to beat this year."

The Eagles are now 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the SCC and will look to make it 2-0 Tuesday when they host Waseca.

New Ulm 7, Martin County West 0

SINGLES: 1 -- John Hildebrandt (NU) def. Matt Harbitz 6-0, 6-0; 2 -- Philipp Niemeyer (NU) def. Chris Kuehl 6-0, 6-0; 3 -- Joel Runck (NU) def. David Anderson 6-1, 6-1; 4 -- Phil Dirlam (NU) def. Josh Richter 6-0, 6-0.

DOUBLES: 1 -- Jay Smith/Matt Sprung (NU) def. Mike Johnson/Mike Lundquist 6-0, 6-0; 2 -- Mike Maki/Josh Hillesheim (NU) def. Nate Schieber/Nate Janssen 6-1, 6-0; 3 -- Conrad Wachter/Josh Schneider (NU) def. Lucas Schwager/Jordan Schwager 6-0, 6-0.