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Eight girls return as letterwinners for the Sibley East tennis team which began preparing for the upcoming season last week with preseason conditioning in Arlington.

Sibley East started its 2007 campaign Wednesday (today) with a doubles tournament at St. James. The Lady Wolverines will host River Valley on Friday. That match will be played in Arlington beginning at 9:00 a.m..

Captain Kati Klimmek and returning starters Crystal Doering and Alisha Schuneman headline the list of returning letterwinners for Sibley East. All three girls are seniors.

Other returning letterwinners include: juniors – Becca Paine and Mary Flores; and sophomores – Courtney Nienaber, Ashley Thomes and Kayla Trocke.

Trocke, Nienaber and Thomes join Doering and Schuneman as regulars returning from last season’s squad.

Trocke was an all-conference selection for Sibley East in 2006 while Nienaber and Thomes received honorable mention.

Lost to graduation was Whitney Trocke. She played #1 singles for the Wolverines and was named “Most Valuable Player” in the Minnesota River Conference last season.

Sibley East will also be without Evie Swanson this season. She was a regular starter for the Wolverines in 2006 and was named to the all-conference team.

“I am not sure what to expect this season,” Sibley East head coach Chad Bachman said. “We have plenty of experience at the top of our lineup. But, we will need some girls to play varsity for the first time and contribute if we’re going to have a successful season.”

Other candidates for the Sibley East squad this season include:

Senior – Mandi Matz;

Junior – Michelle Pioske;

Ninth-graders – Mackenzie Timm, Stephanie Schuneman and Katie Glisczinzki;

Eighth-graders – Lauren Otto, Hannah Larson and Courtney Hanson;

Seventh-graders – Morgan Setterman, Tiffany Kirsch and Lindsey Fasching;

Coach Bachman listed Holy Family and Le Sueur-Henderson as preseason favorites to win the Minnesota River Conference. Both teams return several regulars from a season ago, according to Bachman. LSH shared the conference championship with Belle Plaine last season.

Sibley East will open its conference season against Belle Plaine. That contest is scheduled for Tuesday, August 28th at Arlington.

SE Varsity Tennis Schedule

Aug. 22 @ St. James

Aug. 24 River Valley

Aug. 27 @ Redwood Valley

Aug. 28 Belle Plaine

Aug. 30 @ Le Sueur-Henderson

Sept. 4 @ Holy Family

Sept. 6 @ Maple River

Sept. 11 @ Jordan

Sept. 13 @ Belle Plaine

Sept. 15 @ Blue Earth Area

Sept. 17 @ Glencoe-S.L.

Sept. 18 Le Sueur-Hend.

Sept. 20 Holy Family

Sept. 24 New Ulm

Sept. 27 Jordan

BOLD = Home meet

All varsity home meets at Arlington