Marion Tennis posts road win at Herrin

HERRIN - The Marion High School girls tennis team opened its season with an 8-1 win over Herrin on the road Tuesday.

Marion swept all six singles matches and lost just one set along the way, then took two of the three doubles contests with just one tiebreaker loss.

In singles, Nicole Szidik was a 6-0, 6-1 winner over Kelby Weber in the No. 1 slot, while Margaux Bruce rolled to a 6-1, 6-4 win over Bre Nesler at No. 2.

Carrie Graham rallied for a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Jaylan Blake at No. 3, while Sophia Arnold took down Karlie Hale 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4. Zoe Boatright swept Alexis Jordan 6-0, 6-2.

Marion newcomer Raminta Sickel, a foreign exchange student from Germany, won her debut: 6-1, 6-1 over Hayley Franklin at No. 6.

Szidik and Bruce teamed up for a 6-4, 6-2 win over Nesler and Blake at No. 1 doubles, while Kelsey Watson and Paula Diederich were 6-1, 6-0 victors over Jordan and Franklin at No. 3.

Herrin's lone team point came from Weber and Hale by outlasting Graham and Arnold in a 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 thriller at No. 2 doubles.

Marion and Herrin are scheduled to meet again Saturday in a doubles tournament hosted by Marion.