Norwalk doubles teams claim Lake first team

NORWALK — Riley Helton admits she doesn't have an explanation. But the results have explained plenty for the junior Norwalk girls tennis doubles player and her partner, senior Chloe Hazelwood. Facing Tiffin Columbian in the finals at second doubles at the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake tournament, the pair faced Tiffin Columbian for a second time in less than 48 hours. On Sept. 18, Helton and Hazelwood faced a 6-2 deficit against the Tornadoes in the first tiebreak before roaring back to win it, 9-7. They then took the second set, 6-3, to help the Truckers clinch the final SBC Lake Division regular season title outright. On Saturday on their home court, the pair overcame a 5-4 deficit in the first set to claim a 7-5 win over Columbian's Kenzie Felske and Angela Nominee. That included losing a game that went to deuce four times. The Norwalk duo then took control in the second set for a 6-3 win to lock down All-SBC Lake first team honors at the position. "Honestly I just think we both have our moments," Helton said. "But we keep our cool and know after however many times we've done it, we know what to do. We know we can come back and win." Helton and Hazelwood, now 14-2 playing together this season, won a 2.5-hour match against Ashland on Sept. 10 that featured two tiebreaks, including rallying from a 5-1 deficit. They also went two hours with a win at Perkins (7-5, 7-5) in a match that went to deuce 15 times back on Aug. 26. "We've proven ourselves in those scenarios," Helton said. "It gets to you a little bit. You have those thoughts in your head, but you tell yourself, 'We'll be OK.' "I just think it's our thing," she added. "Chloe and I enjoy it. The adrenaline keeps us going." In their semifinal match, Hazelwood and Helton defeated Perkins' Emma Beatty and Lexi Green, 6-3, 6-2. They also beat that same pairing days earlier on Sept. 16 (6-1, 6-4). "Chloe and Riley played a great first match against a tough Perkins team," Norwalk head coach Harry Love said. "They came out hot and hit a lot of really good shots, but we were handling it well. Once we got settled in and figured out our game plan on what worked and what didn't, they were able to take control. "The Tiffin match was a very different change of pace," he added. "They had a much different style and played a higher, slower ball. They moved us around a bit and made us think about what shots and where to hit them. It took a bit longer to figure it out, but once we righted the ship, they were steady and were able to close it out." The second doubles team wasn't the only impressive showing for the Truckers on Saturday. Riding the high of two three-set thrillers against Perkins and Columbian, the first doubles team of juniors Alyssa Gruhlke and Aubrey Kluding were dominant in the tournament. The pair had a bye before defeating Clyde's Adriana Barnes-Ortmann and Delaney Fritz (6-2, 6-0). Facing the same Perkins team of Brynn Catlett and Jencyn Gennari that they held off (5-7, 6-2, 10-7) on Sept. 16, Gruhlke and Kluding left little doubt. They cruised to a win in straight sets (6-3, 6-1) to also claim first team honors at Lake first doubles. "I think Alyssa and Aubrey had a chip on their shoulder, that it was either closer than it should have been, or they didn't show their best earlier in the week against Perkins," Love said. "They came out firing today. "Both matches today were the best they've played all season. They picked a great day to play their best tennis of the year." Norwalk also had three finalists at all three singles positions. Junior Lydia Trost earned first team honros at No. 1 singles, while junior Addy Rospert and sophomore Leksi Jurczek each earned second team honors after falling to Columbian players in the finals. At first singles, Trost beat Clyde's Ariah Farrar (6-1, 6-3) and lost to Columbian's Leah Weingart (6-0, 6-0). Rospert beat Clyde's Kenzie Guhn (6-0, 6-0) at second singles, then lost to Columbian's Elise Johnston, 6-1, 4-6, 10-4. At third singles, Jurczek Perkins' Katelynn Troyer (6-0, 6-0) lost to Columbian's Leah Wahl, 6-4, 6-3. "Lydia and Leah both have gotten better, and it's kind of a similar story with Addy and Elise at second," Love said. "They were all great matches, and I think if Addy and she were to play a fourth time, it probably goes three sets, and I like our odds a lot more." Jurczek beat Wahl in straight sets on Aug. 28 in Tiffin. "But Wahl played a lot better, and differently, from that day to now," Love said. "She handled the Clyde girl in the semis after losing to her earlier in the year, so that was our clue that she was here to play, and we had to be ready. "And Leksi was ready but just came up short. She has done a phenomenal job at third singles for us and has really stepped up her game," he added. "I know she wanted to win, but she was content with how she played. As a coach, that makes me feel good when a player feels good coming off the court after a loss, and Addy and Lydia were the same way." Just two days earlier, Norwalk (12-4, 10-0) put the finishing touches on a fourth—and final—straight SBC Lake championship with a 3-2 win over the Tornadoes. The Truckers were 39-1 during the four-year span, sharing the title with Tiffin in 2022. Then came Saturday with five finalists and two champions. "If I was asking for anything more, I don't know what I'd be asking for," Love said. "It was a great Saturday to end a great week, and it's been a great season. This is one of those tournaments we tell the girls it's for you. It's an individual tournament with no team component." Love noted that some kids interpret that differently and don't always play their best tennis at those types of tournaments. "But I think across the board, we all played fantastic today," he said. "It was great to see, because it tells me they were invested in being the best they can. Not just for the team or because they have to be involved. "They are invested because they are pushing themselves to be better competitors, and I thought that really showed with our girls today." Helton found that out right away in the summer. The first-time tennis player opted to come out for the sport late in the spring. Now she's teamed with the lone senior in the starting seven to go through 12 Lake matches unscathed. "I put my whole heart into it, and I think showing what I'm capable of and being with Chloe feels good," she said. "It's great to be first in the Lake together. I love her and love playing with her."