Abby Morris had to battle back to earn a trip to the state Class A girls tennis tournament.

The Park Rapids senior entered the Section 8A tournament at Fargo’s Courts Plus as the No. 2 seed in singles. Morris received a first-round bye before defeating No. 7 Hannah Lindemoen of Crookston 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Oct. 13.

In the semifinals on Tuesday, Oct. 19, Morris was defeated by Wadena-Deer Creek’s Madison Packer (the No. 3 seed), 6-4, 6-0. Morris regrouped from that loss by defeating Crookston’s Brekken Tull (6-1, injury default) in the third-place match. Tull was the No. 5 seed. When Packer defeated Staples-Motley’s Lauren Rutten 7-5, 6-2 in the championship match, Morris earned a true-second match for the other state berth.

Morris took advantage of that opportunity, defeating Rutten 6-4, 6-4 to qualify for state.

Entering the section tournament, Rutten was rated No. 8, Morris was rated No. 11 and Packer was rated No. 18 in the state Class A poll. Morris and Packer split matches earlier this season with Morris prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in a dual meet and Packer winning 2-6, 6-4, 10-1 in the section team semifinals. Rutten edged Morris 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the final regular season dual.

“All three girls are great players and have played some tough matches over the years,” said Park Rapids head coach Brianne Morris. “Abby and Packer go back and forth all the time. She's only lost to Rutten the one time, earlier this year. I knew she just needed to play hard and within herself and she'd have a chance to go. She played well.”

The state tournament begins at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis on Thursday, Oct. 28. Morris will carry a 21-6 record to her second state tournament.

“We want Abby to go down to state, enjoy it, play hard and leave it all on the court,” said Morris. “Not many people can say they made it to state, so she's pretty excited and we hope she'll be able to play well down there.”

Clark, Goochey take fourth in doubles

Mickey Clark and Macy Goochey entered the section tournament as the No. 4 seed in doubles and ended up placing fourth.

The Park Rapids doubles team opened play with a 6-1, 6-0 win over No. 13 Maddie Becker and Alexis Becker of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle in the first round before eliminating No. 5 Elizabeth DiGiovanni and Ronnie Noska of Staples-Motley 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals on Oct. 13.

In the semifinals, Goochey and Clark dropped a 7-5, 6-2 decision to Crookston’s Hayden Winjum and Halle Winjum, the No. 1 seed. In the third-place match, the Park Rapids duo was defeated by Wadena-Deer Creek’s Corra Endres and Anna Fiemeyer (the No. 3 seed) 6-3, 6-1.

In the other opening round matches on Oct. 13, Park Rapids’ Rachael Herman received the No. 9 seed in singles and defeated No. 9 Madison Verbout 6-1, 6-3 before being eliminated with a 6-1, 6-0 loss to Rutten in the quarterfinals. In doubles, Park Rapids’ Emily Schulz and Morgan Koppelman received the No. 9 seed and defeated Alyssa Thelen and Emily Press of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle (the No. 8 seed) 6-4, 6-1 before being eliminated by the Winjum sisters 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

SINGLES

First round

Brekken Tull, Crookston, over Amanda Berscheit, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, 6-0, 6-0; Madison Packer, Wadena-Deer Creek, over Hope Grafstrom, Roseau, 6-0, 6-0; Libby Hartman, Wadena-Deer Creek, over Audrey Ruckheim, Parkers Prairie 6-2, 6-1; Rachael Herman, Park Rapids, over Madison Verbout, Roseau, 6-1, 6-3; Allison Knosalla, Staples-Motley, over Aili Toyli, Parkers Prairie 6-1, 6-0; Hannah Lindemoen, Crookston, over Zoe Johnson, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, 7-5, 6-2.

Quarterfinals

Abby Morris, Park Rapids, over Lindemoen 6-3, 6-2; Packer over Knossalla 6-1, 6-0; Lauren Rutten, Staples-Motley, over Herman 6-1, 6-0; Tull over Hartman 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-0.

Semifinals

Packer over Morris 6-4, 6-0; Rutten over Tull 6-2, 6-0.

Finals

Packer over Rutten 7-5, 6-2 (title); Morris over Tull 6-1, retired (third); Morris over Rutten 6-4, 6-4 (true second).

DOUBLES

First round

Mickey Clark/Macy Goochey, Park Rapids, over Maddie Becker/Alexis Becker, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, 6-1, 6-0; Elizabeth Digiovanni/Ronnie Noska, Staples-Motley, over Anna Helling/Brooke Schilling, Parkers Prairie 6-1, 6-1; Georgia Kruchten/Kenzie Erickson, Staples-Motley, over Elizabeth Harstad/Elektra Blumer, Parkers Prairie, 6-3, 6-4; Corra Endres/Anna Fiemeyer, Wadena-Deer Creek, over McKenzie Reed/Tessany Blazek, Roseau, 6-1, 6-2; Emily Schulz/Morgan Koppelman, Park Rapids, over Alyssa Thelen/Emily Press, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, 6-4, 6-1; Jessie Danielson/Erin Brandt, Roseau, over Katie Fiemeyer/Mercedes Schulz, Wadena-Deer Creek, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5.

Quarterfinals

Clark/Goochey over Digiovanni/Noska 6-2, 6-3; Hayden Winjum/Halle Winjum, Crookston, over Schulz/Koppelman 6-2, 6-2; Emma Osborn/Emma Gunderson, Crookston, over Danielson/Brandt 6-4, 6-1; Endres/Fiemeyer over Kruchten/Erickson 6-1, 6-3.

Semifinals

Hay. Winjum/Hal. Winjum over Clark/Goochey 7-5, 6-2; Osborn/Gunderson over Endres/Fiemeyer 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Finals

Hay. Winjum/Hal. Winjum over Osborn/Gunderson 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 (title); Endres/Fiemeyer over Clark/Goochey 6-3, 6-1 (third).