By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The Caribou girls and boys tennis teams are bound for the post-season once again.
The Viking girls, with their 11-1 record, are ranked fifth in Eastern Maine Class B. The team will make the trip to Waterville Friday at 3:30 p.m. for the quarterfinal round of the tournament. The Panthers are ranked fourth and also hold an 11-1 record.
jMavor Photography photo
Laura Collins of Caribou serves the ball at a recent home match. Collins and her Vikings play Waterville in the quarterfinals Friday.
The semifinal round of the playoffs is scheduled for Monday. The Caribou-Waterville winner will take on either No. 1 Camden Hills or No. 8 Belfast.
Caribou closed out its regular season last Wednesday with a 5-0 victory at Houlton.
Both Jenna Selander and Laura Collins picked up shutout victories in their singles matches. Selander defeated Kelsey Fitzpatrick, 8-0, while Collins also registered an 8-0 win over Megan Gerath.
Ally Michaud of Caribou bested Daisy Torres in third singles, 8-2.
In doubles play, Ashley Richards and Katie Keaton blanked Houlton’s Courtney Bragan and Lizzy Garcia, 8-0. Alexa Massey and Clara Collins also made easy work of their Shiretowner opponents Megan Baker and Danielle Daigle, winning 8-0.
The Caribou boys finished their season with a 7-5 record and grabbed the No. 6 seed in EM Class B. The Vikes will meet up against No. 3 Presque Isle in the quarterfinal round Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The Wildcats recorded a pair of 5-0 victories over the Vikings during the regular season.
The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to Monday’s semifinal against either No. 2 Camden Hills or No. 7 Old Town.
Last Wednesday, Caribou lost at Houlton, 4-1, to end the regular season. The match was much closer than the final score indicated as all three singles matches came down to tie-breakers, with the Shires winning all three. Ezra Duplissie-Cyr lost to Lucas Anderson, 9-8 (7-5), Matt Coty fell to Zach Harvey, 9-8 (7-5) and Phil Smith was edged by Tyler Delano, 9-8 (7-4).
Caribou’s lone win came in second doubles as Zach Gorence and Cameron Hill downed D.J. McGary and Avery Kibler, 8-4. In No. 2 doubles, Cody Woods and Craig Thomas got past the Viking duo of Lucien Caverhill and Tyler Willey, 8-6.
In the state singles tournament Monday at Bates College in Lewiston, Selander, the No. 5 seed, advanced with a 6-0, 6-0 win over her first-round opponent. Collins was ousted in the first round, 6-2, 6-2.
