RAPID CITY – Aberdeen Roncalli dropped a pair of 8-1 tennis decisions on Thursday, one to Rapid City Stevens and another to Rapid City Christian.

The Cavaliers played Stevens a week ago with similar results.

“There was improvement in scores from when we played them the first time,” said Roncalli coach JD Carrels. “For half the team this is the first time out in Rapid. The ball bounces a little higher, bounces a little faster, it’s also 80 degrees out. On top of it you’re coming off a five and a half hour card ride. I was very happy with the way they played.”

Roncalli’s lone win came at number one singles where Gray Imbery defeated a substitute player for Stevens in straight sets.

The Cavaliers received a win from Mason Carrels at number four singles against Christian. He recovered from a slow start to win the first set in a tiebreaker.

“He kind of switched up his playing style a little bit. I was pretty happy to see it. He has kind of a more aggressive play style where he likes to come to the net. For the guy he was playing against, that style did not set up well for him,” Coach Carrels said. “He was down right away and he switched up his game. He started playing like a backboard. To see him do that in the middle of match without me having to come talk to him really showed that he’s growing as a player, especially to be able to figure that out was as huge sign for me.”

The Cavaliers lost a tight one at number two doubles where Cason Hellwig and Jackson Henrich dropped the second set in a tiebreaker 10-8.

“Two doubles had really good chances and had couple of deuce points not go their way,” Coach Carrels said, “and it really turned the momentum in the match.”

Roncalli takes on Mitchell in a dual this morning and then heads into doubles play in a tournament. Singles action is Saturday.

Rapid City Stevens 8, Aberdeen Roncalli 1

SINGLES

Gray Imbery, AR, def. Christian Mueller, 6-2, 6-1.

Michael Tang, RCS, def. Mason Hellwig, 6-0, 6-0.

Sam Mortimer, RCS, def. Jackson Henrich, 6-0, 6-1.

Asa Hood, RCS, def. Mason Carrels, 6-1, 6-4.

Thomas Postma, RCS, def. AJ Prehn, 6-0, 6-0.

Conor Cruse, RCS, def. Palmer Johnson, 6-0, 6-0.

DOUBLES

Tang-Postma, RCS, def. Imbery-Carrels, 6-0, 6-2.

Hood-Mortimer, RCS, def. Hellwig-Henrich, 6-3, 6-3.

Tristan Eizinger-Nolan Rehorst, RCS, def. Prehn-Gannon May, 6-2, 6-0.

Exhibition: Eizinger. RCS, def. May, 10-7; Noah Dwyer, RCS, def. Landon Zikmund, 10-2, Cruse-Dayler Segrist, RCS, def. Johnson-Zikmund, 10-1.

Rapid City Christian 8, Aberdeen Roncalli 1

SINGLES

Noah Greni, RCC, def. Gray Imbery, 6-4, 6-0.

Joe Schneller, RCC, def. Cason Hellwig, 6-0, 6-1.

Andrew Dobbi, RCC, def. Jackson Henrich, 6-0, 6-0.

Mason Carrels, AR, def. Noah Geyer, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.

Jack Hancock, RCC, def. AJ Prehn, 6-0, 6-2.

Henry Bechloff, RCC, def. Palmer Johnson, NA.

DOUBLES

Greni-Schneller, RCC, def. Imbery-Carrels, 6-2, 6-2.

Dobbi-Geyer, RCC, def. Hellwig-Henrich, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8).

Hancock=Bechloff, RCC, def. Prehn-Gannon May, 6-2, 6-4.

Exhibition: David Suomela, RCC, def. May, 8-3; Matt Suomola, RCC, def. Landon Zikmund, 8-2; Johnson-Zikmund, AR, def. Hudson Selfridge-Ethan Palmer, 8-1.