Pugh, Reedy team up for Eagles

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- Ice has become senior Jenny Pugh's new best friend -- that and her new doubles partner, junior Liz Reedy.

Twenty minutes before New Ulm's tennis match against Waseca, Reedy found out that she was going to play doubles with Pugh instead of their regular No. 2 and No. 1 positions. The different lineup was advantageous for the duo; however, the Eagles fell to Waseca 6-1 in the South Central Conference Monday.

Pugh, who has been struggling on and off for three years with pain in her shoulder, recently had an MRI and found out she has arthritis in her shoulder from a previous injury. Because of this, Pugh has missed several matches and has had to change her whole style of play -- varying her style speed of hits. It turns out it will be a perfect fit for playing doubles, as long as she takes a few painkillers and ices the shoulder afterwards.

"I found that it helped so much not to do half of the work," Pugh said. Pugh decided to play doubles because she couldn't stand not playing her senior year. "I think Liz and I play really well together, so it would be good if we could play together the rest of the year."

In their first match playing together this year, Pugh and Reedy beat juniors Steph Conway and Betsie Collins 6-2 and 6-4.

"They just wanted to bash the ball back and end the point," Reedy said. "But we figured out that since we're used to playing singles, we're used to ... keeping the ball in play, so that worked really well for us."

Another thing that worked really well for the pair was their different styles. Pugh's strong stroke is her forehand, so she was able to cover really well on the serve, as well as send back a shot with wicked topspin. Reedy has an entirely different way of hitting the ball, confounding their opponents.

"We talk really well and we both have different strokes, and when you put them together, we do pretty good," Reedy said. "It's definitely a different game, but I enjoy it a lot better. It's a lot more action -- in doubles, it changes up all the time."

Junior Katye Matthews, who has been playing doubles up until the Waseca game, was also thrown into a new role at No. 3 singles.

"I felt a little rushed into it," she said. "But I felt I did okay for being thrown into it. Coach said that I did well at singles, so I guess I'll give it a try."

She lost to Katie Kiesler 6-0 and 6-0, but Matthews now knows what she has to work on if she is going to stay in her singles position. Because play at doubles relys more on working up to the net and volleying, Matthews will have to work more on her ground stroke and practice consistency on her forehand.

All of this works into a plan by coach Willis Runck, who has had to work around a strong player with an injury. He wants the juniors to get experience at singles so they will be stronger as individuals and as a team next year.

The Eagles (0-7, 0-2) plays at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Fairmont.

Waseca 6, New Ulm 1

Singles -- Ashley Clark (W) def. Tiffany Corbett (NU) 6-0, 6-0; Katie Flor (W) def. Jamie Curry (NU) 6-0, 6-0; Katie Kiesler (W) def. Katye Matthews (NU) 6-0, 6-0; Ashley Kruse (W) def. Alex Leverson (NU) 6-0, 6-0. Doubles -- Jenny Pugh/Liz Reedy (NU) def. Steph Conway/Betsie Collins (W) 6-2, 6-4; Megan Landkammer/Megan Flor (W) def. April Lund/Katie MacAulay (NU) 6-1, 6-0; Samantha Boje/Michelle Prange (W) def. Kaia Sievert/Sadie Hauge (NU) 6-0, 6-1.