The Aberdeen Roncalli girls’ tennis team was challenged on Monday.

The hometown Cavaliers picked up hard fought wins, but ultimately fell to the Cavaliers from St. Thomas More 6-3 at the Northern State University tennis courts.

Roncalli coach Jason Haskell said it was an even dual.

“Two evenly matched teams that had a lot of good battles,” Haskell said.

Roncalli’s Josie Mitzel won the flight six singles match over St. Thomas More’s Mylee Sebbo and then proceeded to win the flight three doubles match with her sister Anna. Mitzel felt good about her performance.

“I did pretty good. I had a few good serves, and I just worked the court a lot, guiding angles,” Josie Mitzel said. “I was over the court and just hitting every ball that was hit to me.”

Mitzel’s doubles match went into a tiebreaker, and the freshman did not want it to end in a loss.

“We were down for the first part of it, but then we just wanted to get it done and not end it like that,” Mitzel said. “We were not playing well, so we dug in and won.”

Haskell was glad to see Mitzel perform well.

“It’s always good to get wins in your lower flights and come out and play well,” Haskell said. “It’s nice to see her put together a couple of good matches. She played well today.”

Haskell also noted great effort from Mitzel’s performance in the doubles match with her sister, which they pulled out 7-3 in the tiebreaker.

“The doubles match with Anna and Josie, that was a tough win to pull out that tiebreak,” Haskell said.

Haskell was also impressed with River Haskell’s win in flight two singles.

“River had to really play a tough match and play her best game to beat her, so that was a big win for us also,” Haskell said.

Roncalli heads to Brookings today before facing Rapid City Central and Rapid City Stevens on Friday. The Cavaliers will also participate in the Elliot Extravaganza on Saturday.

Haskell said he is looking forward to the competition throughout the week.

“Probably the biggest thing is, of course, we play O’Gorman, another Catholic school (today),” Haskell said. “And then at the end of the week we have our hometown rivalry at the end of the Elliot Extravaganza. It’ll be Central and Roncalli on Saturday afternoon, so if anyone’s in town looking for something to do, come check us out.”

St. Thomas More 6, Aberdeen Roncalli 3

Singles

Athena Franciliso, STM, def. Katherine Kretchman, 10-4.

River Haskell, AR, def. Shriya Gangineni, 10-6.

Amity Strand, STM, def. Raley Haskell, 10-3.

Madison Schmahl, STM, def. Anna Mitzel, 10-6.

Evie Reinicke, STM, def. Keira Rivett, 10-1.

Josie Mitzel, AR, def. Mylee Sebbo, 10-6.

Doubles

Franciliso-Gangineni, STM, def. Kretchman-River Haskell, 10-3.

Strand-Schmahl, STM, def. Raley Haskell-Rivett, 10-7.

Anna Mitzel-Josie Mitzel, AR, def. Reinicke-Sebbo, 10-9 (7-3).