Lourdes finds a way, heads to state boys tennis tournament for 16th straight season

May 23—ROCHESTER — The Lourdes boys tennis team has spent the last two weeks being told how to compete by Steve Tacl, its coach.

On Tuesday in the Section 1A tournament final, the Eagles took those lessons and aced them.

Lourdes did it in a 4-3 win over No. 1 seed and No. 2-ranked Schaeffer Academy, a team that had beaten it by that same 4-3 score on April 18.

Tacl saw a different bunch of Eagles show up this time, indoors at the Rochester Athletic Club. They carried themselves exactly as the coach desires.

And now, here they are, headed to state for the 16th straight season.

"Earlier this season, we had so many moments in matches where we had opportunities (to take leads), but instead, we'd get tight, or didn't execute and wouldn't win the set," Tacl said. "That's what I've been talking to these guys about over and over again the last two weeks. I wanted them to embrace the moment, to embrace the fight."

Schaeffer Academy entered the day not only wanting to beat rival Lourdes for the second time in a year and in its history, but to do something even more significant. The Lions were gunning for their first state tournament berth, in any sport.

But thanks to Lourdes rising to the many occasions that presented themselves Tuesday, the Lions will remain state deprived one more year.

But Schaeffer wasn't going to let itself be buried by that. Getting to state, the Lions insist, isn't why the play. They do it with something much bigger in mind.

"God wants us to glorify Him, whether we win or lose," said Asher Monson, one of four Monsons on this team, one that's coached by their mother, Kady Monson. "Today, we glorified Him the best we could. It was still a lot of fun. It's fun to play good players and play out those long points."

Asher Monson and No. 1 doubles teammate Noah Ryder were part of a doubles sweep by the Lions. Monson and Noah Ryder won at No. 1, Noah Monson and Grace Monson at No. 2 and Noah Doherty and Max Orth at No. 3.

But where the Lions couldn't pull off a single was in singles. That was a Lourdes sweep. Marjan Veldic won at No. 1 singles, Evan Ritter at No. 2, Ethan Hubbard at No. 3 and Jack Fitzgerald at No. 4. And they didn't just win, they each claimed their matches in straight sets.

Senior and No. 3-state ranked Veldic had the predictably easiest time, roaring 6-0, 6-0 in his match.

A senior who is in his sixth season with the Lourdes varsity,

Veldic didn't want to miss out on one more state team tournament experience in his final year.

Like Tacl, he spent much of the last two weeks trying to get his teammates to raise their games, just as he was trying to raise his own. Tacl's words richly resonated with him.

That earlier team loss to Schaeffer stuck with him just as much. He says it was the perfect motivation.

"I think when we lost that dual to them, we just realized that we weren't as good as we thought we were," Veldic said. "We had to improve a lot. In order to do that we had to focus our minds in order to get right with our tennis skills."

Veldic watched that happen, bit by bit, their progress culminating in what they produced on Tuesday — a superb performance and maybe their best of the year.

"(Tacl) had been telling us that we have to control what we can control," Veldic said. "He was telling us that we have to love the fight and that when there are bumps in the road that we have to get over them. What I was trying to do was to keep everyone's energy up. Energy is one of the most important things there is in tennis. If you win the energy battle, you can win the match."

Lourdes' win upped it to 10-10 overall, the only time in memory that the Eagles are entering the state tournament without a winning record.

Schaeffer finishes its season 10-3.

Schaeffer also finished with what had been a glorious "Monson era." That is, with Kady Monson coaching this team and so many of her children having played for her. Kady and her family are moving to Ohio this summer.

"It is a little bit disappointing that we are moving," Asher Monson said. "But I know the Lord has a plan for me. I am just going to go down there and follow His lead and glorify Him the best way I can."

Lourdes begins its 16th straight tournament June 6, at annual state Class A site Reed-Sweat Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

SEMIFINALS

Schaeffer Academy 6, Red Wing 1

Singles: Asher Monson (S) def. Aidan Hull 6-2, 7-5; Noah Ryder (S) def. Braydon Bennyoff 6-4, 6-4; Hudson Zimmerman (S) def. Isaiah Jensen 6-4, 6-0; Alex Yovchev (S) def. Austin Hosfeld 6-0, 6-1. Doubles: Noah Monson/Grace Monson (S) def. Luke Farrar/Walter McCoy 6-4, 6-3; Braden Phetsarath/Bethany Monson (S) def. Gavin Magill/Eli Flattum 6-2, 6-0; Seth Malyon/Philip Lockwood (RW) def. Neil Vokoun/Jack Phillips 1-6, 7-6, 10-6.

Lourdes 7, Lake City 1

Singles: Marjan Veldic (L) def. Ryan Heise 6-0, 6-1; Evan Ritter (L) def. Jack Meincke 6-3, 6-4; Alec McElmury (LC) def. Easton Ackley 6-2, 6-0; Andy Fink (L) def. Edwin Larois-Herrera 6-1, 6-1. Doubles: Jack Fitzgerald/Ethan Hubbar (L) def. Jaymes Lukes/Cade Oliver 6-0, 6-1; Charlie Young/Joseph Palen (L) def. Elijah Miller/Maddox Shones 6-1, 6-2; Noah Doherty/Max Orth (L) def. Trey Meincke/Patrick Kennedy 7-5, 6-1.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Lourdes 4, Schaeffer Academy 3

Singles: Marjan Veldic (L) def. Hudson Zimmerman 6-0, 6-0; Evan Ritter (L) def. Alex Yovchev 6-0, 6-0; Ethan Hubbard (L) def. Neil Vokoun 6-0, 7-6; Jack Fitzgerald (L) def. Bethany Monson 7-5, 6-2. Doubles: Asher Monson/Noah Ryder (S) def. Charlie Young/Joseph Palen 6-4, 7-5; Noah Monson/Grace Monson (S) def. Andy Fink/Easton Ackley 6-2, 6-0; Braden Phetsarath/Jack Phillips (S) def. Noah Doherty/Max Orth 6-4, 5-7; 10-8.