HUXLEY — When the Ballard girls' tennis team lost its top three players off last year's squad, no one knew exactly who would step up in their place. There was one sign, however, that gave coach Jen Dovre plenty of hope that those shoes would be filled nicely.

Every returner was eager as ever to get back on the courts and claim a spot in the varsity lineup. There was no hesitation or reservation from anyone, even players at the junior varsity level.

“That's kind of been the story of Ballard tennis,” Dovre said. “It's an expectation that we're going to be solid through and through, and we're going to show up to play.

“When girls graduate, they can't wait to get in those spots. It's not like, 'Oh my gosh I'm not ready.' We've had girls that have tried to challenge all year to get into the lineup to practice with the top 12. It's exciting and it's a good thing for our program.”

Other than when it stepped up to face Waukee earlier this week, the Bombers (9-1) have avoided every obstacle and speed bump thrown their way. They cruised in their regular-season finale Thursday night, beating Creston 8-1 in a cold, gray and windy sendoff.

“The wind is pretty bad,” senior Lindsey Kaldenberg said. “It usually is, but we're kind of used to it. The other team is playing in the wind, too, so you just have to hit your shots and hope they go in.”

The only Creston (4-6) win on the night was at No. 2 singles, when Maddie Frey defeated Kaldenberg 8-3. The Ballard senior started the season off at No. 1 in singles, but a reshuffled lineup has allowed other players to cut through the noise of a deep lineup.

Depth, more than anything else, is how the Bombers try to overwhelm opponents.

“We have 38 girls out for tennis this year, but we do (get plenty of time on the court),” Dovre said. “Our top 12 practices together a lot, and they get to hit the ball quite a bit. They hit with each other at different levels. Our 6 can hit with our 1. That's important, too, that they get to hit with everybody.”

Ballard will carry the resume of an unblemished Class 1A season into the regional tournament, which begins Saturday in Huxley. The Bombers will square off against Saydel in the Region 3 opener at 9 a.m. If they win, they would play the winner of North Polk and Webster City that afternoon.

“In one sense, it's kind of nice we didn't see Saydel yet because sometimes you see a team and if you've beat them, you have to pump them up to play,” Dovre said. “But we haven't seen them and don't really know what they'll bring. Just have the expectation to go out and have your toughest matchup that you might see.”

That sense of unfamiliarity is something Kaldenberg — who is one of four seniors in the varsity lineup with Anna Krejcarova, Hannah Elliott and Sarah Kamp — thinks will keep the team engaged as it fine tunes its technique in order to make a run at the state meet.

“Every game we want to win and come out on top,” Kaldenberg said. “So if we've played them or not, we just need to play as hard as we can and try to win.”

Ballard 8, Creston 1


1. Anna Krejcarova (B) defeated Megan Haley (C) 8-3; 2. Maddie Frey (C) defeated Lindsey Kaldenberg (B) 3-8; 3. Rachel Wohlgemuth (B) defeated Heylee Shields (C) 9-8(9); 4. Hannah Elliott (B) defeated Karly Calvin (C) 8-1; 5. Jenna Hernandez (B) defeated Morgan Driskell (C) 8-1; 6. Sarah Kamp (B) defeated Sam Dunphy (C) 8-0


1. Krejcarova/Wohlgemuth (B) defeated Haley/Frey (C) 8-4; 2. Kaldenberg/Elliott (B) defeated Shields/Calvin (C) 8-4; 3. Hernandez/Kamp (B) defeated Driskell/Dunphy (C) 8-3