LYONS — The Ellsworth girls’ tennis team brought home first place at the 3-2-1A Regional Tournament Oct. 10-11, with all six players qualifying for state.

Ellsworth placed first with 18 points.

“Our girls really played well on Friday and Saturday,” head coach Eric Anderson said. “Our regional in Lyons was not easy, with quality teams from Claflin-Central Plains, Larned and Sterling to compete with, but our girls put it all out there and played great both days. This is the third straight 3-2-1A Regional team championship for our girls’ team and the third consecutive year that we have qualified all six girls for the 3-2-1A State Tennis Meet.”

In singles, junior Karli Haase placed second, falling to Sterling’s defending state champion Chelsie Brown. Junior Hannah Vague placed fifth and won the state qualifying match to move on.

In doubles, the team of senior Inarie Rippert and junior Reygan Coonrod placed first, while the doubles team of sophomore Makenna Anderson and senior Felis De La Cruz placed third.

This week the team continues to train and prepare for the state competition.

“I am extremely proud of the way the girls played and the way they handled themselves in some pretty tough situations these past two days,” Anderson said. “We are looking forward to a week of preparation for the 3-2-1A State Tennis Meet in Salina Friday and Saturday.”

The players are using their experiences at regionals to prepare for state.

“I think that with preparation and the hard work the team is putting in, we can do anything we truly set our minds to,” Haase said.

Rippert, who plays doubles with Coonrod, feels stronger than ever going into state play.

“The two days were incredible. Regional tennis is such a great experience because we get to play some teams we haven’t got to play,” Rippert said. “I think our most satisfying match was playing Sterling for the championship. They are a great team, and it was a very competitive and hard-fought match.”

Her most difficult challenge at regionals? Playing against her own teammates.

“We had to play against our own team on Saturday, which is always a tough situation, but we knew we had to go into it focused and give it our best effort,” she said.

For now, Rippert is focused on a win at state with Coonrod.

“I will continue to push myself and others in practice so we have all of the tools that we need as a team to win state,” she said. “Yes, there is always pressure, but I have learned how to channel that pressure into the game and play as best that I can.

“I think I felt the pressure of being the returning regional doubles champions, but Reygan and I know how to handle it. Reygan and I have played together as a team for three years now. We have learned what works and what doesn’t, and we’ve figured out how to adjust our game based on who we’re up against.”

This will be Rippert’s last time competing at a high school state tournament since she’s a senior.

“I am looking forward to my last time playing at state. I want it to be the best, and I think as a team, we are going to accomplish great things and bring that state trophy home,” she said.

De La Cruz, also a senior, is looking at her final tournament of the season as well.

“I am looking forward to making the most of my last high school season; going out there and giving my all to win state as a team. Also, going in trying to place higher than last year,” De La Cruz said.

While she enjoyed regional play, the doubles player acknowledged it was a challenge.

“Regionals were fun, but hard. Makenna and I had tough matches, but we kept our heads held high and fought in every match,” she said. “During the season, Makenna and I had lost to Central Plains. At regionals, it was our goal to beat them and to beat them good. We had to play both Central Plains doubles and they were both hard matches as we went into a third set in our final match.”

In the meantime, she has this week to prepare for state play.

“Mentally, I will be preparing by reminding myself that I put in the work and effort to be where I am now,” she said. “Physically, I will try my hardest at practice and working on things that I can improve. Makenna and I have grown a lot, with this being our first year together. We always pick each other up when we need to. By doing that, it helped a lot at regionals, especially in our match to get third place. It was a two-and-a-half-hour match of lifting each other up and fighting to win.”

The team competes at the Salina Tennis Center, Salina, Oct. 17-18.