PIERRE – It took the perfect storm to allow the Aberdeen Central tennis team to storm the court on Tuesday.

The Golden Eagles won every match it had to have and as a result ended up winning the Eastern South Dakota Conference tennis championship. It’s the team’s first ESD title since 2013.

“I am so proud of these girls. Not just the ones who were crowned champion,” said Central coach John Vogel. “We earned points at every single flight, and we couldn’t have won the team title without every single player’s contribution.”

Central entered the day in third place behind Watertown and Mitchell and was still in that spot following a strong effort in singles, which saw individual championships won by Livia Douglas at flight four and Reese Comstock at flight five. Both players ended up beating foes that they had lost to this season.

“Reese Comstock started things off by winning flight five,” Vogel said. “To do so, she had to defeat three girls who beat her earlier this year.”

Douglas also needed to defeat an opponent in the championship who she lost to just last Friday.

“We came up with a plan and Liv executed it,” Vogel said. “Got up on early on and held in for the Flight 4 championship.”

That’s where things began to get interesting. While still in third in team points, the Golden Eagles recalled that last year at ESD they went from sixth to second in team points during doubles.

“So we knew if we played well, we’d have a shot,” Vogel said.

All three doubles teams won their opening round matches and that’s when Central passed Watertown in the team standings.

“That’s when we realized that we controlled our own destiny,” Vogel said, “because all three flights would be facing Mitchell.”

The flight two squad of Laney Gonsor and Douglas won in a tiebreaker over the Kernels in the semifinals and the chase for the team title was on.

Central’s flight three team of Comstock and Olivia Geier then defeated a Mitchell squad in the championship match to inch even closer in team points.

“They jumped to an early lead, and played great to hold off the late charge,” Vogel said. “The victory made Reese a two-time champion, but it was Olivia Geier’s strong and steady performance that sealed the deal.”

Gonsor and Douglas needed to win the title at flight two to keep Central’s team title hopes alive and they did just that, securing a narrow 10-8 victory.

“Once again, we got an early lead, to see it fade away, but Laney Gonsor and Liv played clutch down the stretch and won,” Vogel said, “making Livia Douglas also a two-time champion.”

That set up the dramatic finish to the tourney. Central entered its final match with a half point lead over Mitchell, the team who just so happened to be who the Eagles were facing for third place at flight one doubles.

The squad of Julia Knie and Avery Tennant found themselves in a battle during that match.

“We jumped on them right away, building a 5-0, then 7-1 lead (in an eight-game pro set). Then of course the match got tighter,” Vogel said. “After three missed match points, it was 7-4. It’s a good thing Julia and Avery got up 40-love that game, because they lost two more match points before they won.”

After the squad emerged victorious, it cemented a remarkable run to the conference crown.

“After an awkward pause, the girls rushed the court and the celebration was on,” Vogel said.

Team Points: Aberdeen Central 292, Mitchell 278, Watertown 241, Brandon Valley 175, Yankton 172, Huron 54.5, Harrisburg 41, Pierre 35, Brookings 0.

SINGLES

First Flight

JULIA KNIE: def. Sophie Tanner, Brookings, 8-1; lost to Mckenzie Vickery, Huron, 8-6. SIXTH PLACE.

Second Flight

AVERY TENNANT: lost to Leyla Meester, Watertown, 10-2; lost to Sabrina Krajewski, Yankton, 8-2. FOURTH PLACE.

Third Flight

LANEY GONSOR: def. Faith Berg, Watertown, 10-7; lost to Carsyn Weich, Mitchell, 10-1. SECOND PLACE.

Fourth Flight

LIVIA DOUGLAS: def. Say Glay, Huron, 10-2; def. Katie Morgan, Mitchell, 10-6. FIRST PLACE.

Fifth Flight

REESE COMSTOCK: def. Abby Boersma, Brandon Valley, 10-8; def. Cayda Weiss, Watertown, 10-6. FIRST PLACE.

Sixth Flight

RILEY O’KEEFE: lost to Matteah Graves, Mitchell, 10-5; lost to Reagan Morrell, Brandon Valley, 8-6. FOURTH PLACE.

Doubles

First Flight

JULIA KNIE-AVERY TENNANT: def. Mckenzie Vickery-Erika Starr, Harrisburg, 10-7; lost to Nora Krajewski-Sabrina Krajewski, Yankton, 10-7; def. Delaney Degen-Megan Mastel, Mitchell, 8-5. THIRD PLACE.

Second Flight

LANEY GONSOR-LIVIA DOUGLAS: def. Ann Hoek-Madeline Kleinsasser, Huron, 10-7; Gonsor-Douglas def. Carsyn Weich-Elly Clement, Mitchell, 10-9 (7-5); def. Keera Kriech-Abby Boersma, Brandon Valley, 10-8. FIRST PLACE.

Third Flight

REESE COMSTOCK-OLIVIA GEIER: def. Breanna Tedrow-Genevieve Oxford, Pierre, 10-1; def. Sophia Menden-Reagan Morrell, Brandon Valley, 10-8; Comstock-Geier def. Katie Morgan-Matteah Graves, Mitchell, 10-6. FIRST PLACE.