Tippecanoe’s Kessler Hackenberger hits a volley Saturday afternoon in the Division I doubles sectionals at Troy High School. Hackenberger and Cameron Davis won the sectional title.
Rob Kiser|Miami Valley Today
Tippecanoe’s Cameron Davis hits a volley at the net Saturday at Troy High School.
Rob Kiser|Miami Valley Today
Tippecanoe’s Nick Von Krosigk unleashes a backhand Saturday at Troy High School.
Rob Kiser|Miami Valley Today
TROY — The Tippecanoe boys tennis team has put together an incredible season under coach Kaci Matthews.
The Red Devils went 16-3 — with the only losses coming to Bexley, Mason and Springboro — and had another perfect season in the MVL, winning a third straight title.
And the hard work and talent showed up Saturday at the D-I sectional semfinals and finals as the Red Devils advanced two doubles teams and Nick Von Krosigk on to Thursday’s district tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Kessler Hackenberger and Cameron Davis were the top seeds in doubles and lived up that — defeated second seeded teammates Ryan Hartke and Sean Nichols in the title match.
Hackenberger and Davis opened the day with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Vandalia-Butler’s fourth seeded Charlie Stiver and Luke Weber, while Hartke and Nichols outlasted Troy’s third seeded Kellan Nichols and Michael Burns 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the other semifinal.
And the title match was much closer than the final score of 6-2, 6-2.
“I don’t think we have ever had two teams playing each other in the title match,” Matthews said. “And if you watched the match, it was a really competitive, close match.”
Something that Matthews witness every day in practice.
“They are very competitive,” she said. “That is the way it is in practice and makes them better.”
Von Krosigk continued an impressive freshman season.
In the semifinals, the second seeded Von Krosigk and Troy’s third seeded Yasashi Masunaga battled for more than three hours before Von Krosigk came away with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 victory.
“Nick (Von Krosigk) is a grinder,” Matthews said. “He did a great job finishing off that match.”
He then faced Butler’s top seeded Juan De Dios Aguado in the title match.
Aguado had a quick first match, but Von Krosigk battled the entire first before losing 7-6 (4), 6-1 as the long day caught up with him.
“When you are a freshman, it is usually all about experience,” Matthews said. “But, Nick (Von Krosigk) is so mature out there. And what a great experience is having as a freshman.”
Tippecanoe will look to continue that success this week at the district tournament.
Sports Editor Rob Kiser can be reached at [email protected]
