Seven return to lead Port tennis

Seven varsity players return to the Port Washington High School tennis team this season, including all of its doubles players.

The Pirates have 26 players on the team, including three seniors. There are nine juniors, 10 sophomores and four freshmen. 

Last year’s No. 4 singles player Isaac Welton has moved to No. 1 as a sophomore.

“He was able to learn how to play effective singles form the seniors who played above him. So far this season he has been able to hang on and stay in each match against his opponents,” coach Melonie Zielinski said, adding serving and groundstrokes are his strength.

The No. 1 doubles team of junior Neil Schlesinger and sophomore Thomas Garant are back.

“They have come into the season with a lot of growth from last year. They are currently hitting strong consistent groundstrokes and using smart strategies during matches,” Zielinski said.

Sophomore Carson Roller is at No. 2 singles. Freshmen Sam Copp is at No. 3 and Jakub Micha is at No. 4.

Junior Shane McConahy and senior Skylar Shafer are at No. 2 doubles, with senior Tanner Sauer and junior Marcus Ross occasionally filling in for Shafer due to outside conflicts.

Juniors Bryce Bertler and Cale Theis are at No. 3 doubles.

Before taking last week off for spring break, the Pirates lost, 7-0, to powerhouse Homestead. The Pirates didn’t win a set.

On April 6, the Pirates lost, 4-3, to Sheboygan South and then beat Howards Grove, 6-1.

Against South, the Pirates swept the doubles matches. Garant and Schlesinger won, 6-2, 6-4; McConahy and Shafer won, 6-0, 6-1; and Ross and Theis won, 6-0, 6-0.

Against Howards Grove, Welton won, 6-2, 6-0; Kopp won, 6-2, 6-2; and Mavrick Roller at No. 4 singles won, 6-2, 6-0.

Garant and Schlesinger won, 6-4, 6-4; McConahy and Shafer won, 6-1, 6-1; and Ross and Theis won, 6-1, 6-0.

The Pirates started the season with a 7-0 loss at West Bend West. At No. 3 doubles, Sauer and Theis went the distance before losing, 2-6, 7-5, 4-6.

Port was scheduled to play at West Bend East on Tuesday, at Cedarburg on Thursday, host Milwaukee Lutheran on Monday, April 29, and at Brown Deer on Wednesday, May 1.