Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

WATERLOO – With just eight seasons the Liberty High girls tennis program doesn’t have a long past to look back on.

However, that doesn’t mean the Lightning haven’t already put together an impressive history.

In its brief time as a program Liberty High already boasted a four-time state qualifier and three-time medalist in Ella Gilbert.

The Lightning added to their tennis legacy on Wednesday.

Liberty High had a pair of singles state qualifiers or the first time in program history as juniors Vivian Kahler and Addison Bollier competed at the Class 2A state tournament at Byrnes Park in Waterloo.

Liberty High joined Waukee Northwest as the only teams with two singles participants in the 2A field.

“When we looked at the brackets when they came out it was pretty fun to see us on there two times,” first-year Liberty High coach Jake Binggeli said. “We are up there with elite company with Waukee Northwest and the cream of the crop teams in the state.”

A state doubles qualifier two seasons ago as a freshman, Kahler went 2-1 on Wednesday to advance to the second day of the two-day meet on Thursday while Bollier dropped both matches in her state tournament debut.

Kahler defeated Scarlett Brown of Des Moines Roosevelt 6-0, 0-6, 6-1 in the opening round before falling to top-seeded Addison Latta of Waukee Northwest in the quarterfinals.

“I thought Vivian in her first match settled in and realized what she had to do to get the job done,” Binggeli said. “She just ran into a buzzsaw in the top player in the state.”

Kahler kept her season alive with a 6-1, 6-0 consolation win over Jaden Brower of Sioux City North.

She will face Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior Lily Holland in the consolation semifinals on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

Holland defeated Kahler 6-0, 6-3 in a regular season match last month.

Bollier dropped her state tournament debut 6-1, 6-0 to Mackenzie Sagers of Cedar Falls and fell to Brower in the consolation round 7-5, 3-6, 1-0.

The loss ended an impressive season for Bollier who is also playing volleyball for Regina this fall.

“I was super proud of Addy,” Binggeli said. “Her playing two sports at one time is just unbelievable and she ran into the number two girl in her first match and made it to a super in the consolation round but I was proud of the way she competed.”

West High sophomore Iris Vasi dropped a pair of singles matches on Wednesday.

Vasi fell to Latta 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round before a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Brown in the consolation round.

The West High doubles team of juniors Grace Wang and Sophia Singh went 1-2 on Wednesday.

Singh and Wang defeated the Waukee team of Miku Mizushima and Evelyn Stewart 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in the opening round before falling to the Johnston tandem of Brianna Launderville and Zoey Studer 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

Wang and Sing were defeated by the Urbandale team of Dannie Pederson and Sydney Thielman 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 in the consolation round.

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