Norwalk wins key spots in big sweep

NORWALK — Free and easy. Of course Norwalk senior tennis first singles player Lydia Trost didn't want to miss six matches of her final high school season. But her trip through the Geotrac Foundation to the Kluane Lake Research Station in Canada's Yukon Territory earlier this month may have come at the right time. "Oh yes, it refreshed me more than I've ever felt in my life," Trost said. "It cleared my head. It was so quiet and peaceful up there that it felt like I finally had some space to myself to breathe." Trost never looked so refreshed on the tennis court as she did on Monday. With the Truckers hosting their top nemesis over the past four years, Tiffin Columbian, in a Northern Ohio Conference Lake Division match, everyone knew what Trost was up against. Last season, Columbian senior Leah Weingart and Trost played three times in the regular season and the SBC Lake Division tournament. Weingart dropped just two games total in the three wins over Trost in straight sets, including 6-0, 6-0 the last time they met in the league tournament final. But on Monday, that all changed. Trost was able to fight her way back in the first set to win in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (6). From there, she steadily pulled away from Weingart for a 6-2 win in the second set. And overall, it was the highlight of an impressive day as Norwalk (8-1, 4-0) won all five positions for the surprising home sweep. "It felt really great," Trost said. "For me personally, it was my mindset. I wasn't playing because I needed to win. I was playing because I loved the sport, and I think it let me play my best today." Last year, Trost knew when she was up against it; the rest of her team was there to pick her up in a pair of 3-2 victories that gave Norwalk a fourth straight league title. But on Monday, she was able to help play a more definitive role in the win. "It definitely feels great knowing I can rely on my teammates, but it feels even better knowing I can help them as much as they always help me," she said. "Going into the second half, we have a bigger target on us now, because this was a big win today. "We're going to have to come back even stronger the next time we see them." Senior Addy Rospert also pulled through with a three-set win on Monday against Columbian's Leah Wahl. After losing 6-4, Rospert responded to win 6-3 and 10-3. At third singles, junior Leksi Jurczuk controlled from the start in a win with identical 6-2 scores. The first doubles team of seniors Riley Helton and Aubrey Kluding also won a tightly contested match. They defeated Columbian's Olivia Dotson and Kenzie Felske in two sets, 7-5, 7-6 (5). At second doubles, juniors Libby Lark and Scarlet Schneider were also in control from the start in beating Angela Nominee and Zoey Allen (6-0, 6-3). When NHS head coach Harry Love arrived at the courts on Monday, he did not anticipate a 5-0 sweep when factoring in the opponent, the day of the week, and the weather. "The girls knew what they were going to see today, and everyone came motivated to give their absolute all on a Monday with muggy weather starting their first full week of school," Love said. "There is just a lot of stuff that can go wrong on a Monday against a very good team." Love said the Truckers did everything needed at all five spots and took care of business when it was needed. "We took advantage of the opportunities when they presented themselves on some courts," he said. "And on other courts, we controlled the pace of play like we thought we'd be able to. It just so happens today all those things aligned on every single court." As for Trost's big win, Love said it exemplified something unique to tennis. "There is a point where the level gets high enough, it stops becoming the better player winning every time, but instead it's who is the better player that day," he said. "Novak Djokovic lost in the first round in a major last night (at the U.S. Open) for the first time in 21 years. Granted these aren't professionals, but there is a point it stops becoming where you know who the winner will be. "It gets to where there is enough overlap with someone's best day and maybe someone who didn't have their best day, and the match results might not come out the way you expected going in. "Lydia just fought and fought in that first set and was mentally ready to play whatever style she needed to," Love added. "And she was full hustle on every ball. We're happy to see it paid off for her." In junior varsity matches, Amelia Bodell and Mia Helton won (6-1), as did Ella Borgeson and Harper Reamer. Also winning were Nora Whaley and Carsyn Swick (6-4) and Jessi Chappell and Keelie Cammarn (7-6). Alle Potter and Lisa Eley fell 6-4. Norwalk will play at Vermilion on Tuesday in a rescheduled match from last week.