Spencer, Ia (Northwest Iowa Now) – Taking a side step today from Team of the Year features, for a story on the Spencer versus Spirit Lake/Okoboji Girls Tennis battles in the 2025 Spring.
The reason we are featuring this matchup rather than the regular team of the year feature is that neither of these teams made as much postseason noise as they hoped to, but had some fantastic battles over the course of the season in Tournaments and Duals.
The First meeting between the two was at Spencer’s Dennis Price Invitational on April 12th.
Spencer tied for 2nd with Le Mars that day at 13 points, each 9 points behind the Tournament Champion Sergeant Bluff-Luton, but only 3 points in front of Spirit Lake/Okoboji who finished 5th. In the two team’s head-to-head meetings, they split with 2 wins each.
The next meeting was on April 15th in Okoboji. The two teams split the singles matches 3-3. Winners for Spencer were Kennedy Graettinger, Brynn Merchant, and Allie Ewalt while SL/O’s winners were Sydnee Struecker, Libby Leinbaugh, and Addison Richter.
That sent the dual to doubles where Spencer’s Graettinger and Merchant teamed up for a 10-4 win against Spirit Lake/Okoboji’s Struecker and Leinbaugh. In the #3 doubles, Richter and Schlacter of SL/O won 8-5 against the Tigers’ Kabrick and Lux. #2 doubles saw Spencer’s Crew and Ewalt come away with a close 11-9 win against Spirit Lake/Okoboji’s Kleckner and Androski to give the Tigers a 5-4 win in the dual.
The Lakes Conference Tournament saw Spirit Lake/Okoboji pick up their first win against Spencer on the year. SL/O edged out Spencer in the teams standings for first with 14 to the Tiger’s 13 points. The two had a big 7 point gap on 3rd place. In the head-to-head meetings, Spirit Lake’s Sydnee Struecker and Sally Androski each got wins while Spencer took both doubles matches with Graettinger and Merchant along with Kabrick and Lux.
It was back to Spencer on May 10th for a Lakes Conference Dual.
Spirit Lake/Okoboji had the edge after singles, with Syndee Struecker, Lucy Androski, Libby Leinbaugh, and Addison Richter picking up wins. Spencer was able to pick up 2 of the 3 doubles wins, but all Spirit Lake/Okoboji needed was one as Sally Androski and Olivia Schlacter beat Spencer’s Lux and Kabrick.
The dual win for Spirit Lake/Okoboji tied the season series between the two at both a dual and Tournament win against the other apiece.
The Rubber match and final meeting came in Fort Dodge for the Regional semifinals on May 21st.
Sydnee Struecker beat Abbey Crew 2-0 to give Spirit Lake/Okoboji a 1-0 lead.
Kennedy Graettinger of Spencer won 2-1, with a 10-4 advantage in the 3rd set to beat Cambrie Kleckner of SL/O.
The Tigers got their second singles win from Brynn Merchant who beat Sally Androski 2-0.
It was all Spirit Lake/Okoboji in the 4 through 6 singles, with Lucy Androski beating Allie Ewalt 2-1 with an 11-9 advantage in 3rd set, Libby Leinbaugh winning a marathon against Dakoda Lux with a 17-15 3rd set advantage, then Addison Richter beating Jill Kabrick 2-0.
SL/O’s Leinbaugh and Richter beat Crew and Ewalt 2-0. Spencer’s Merchant and Graettinger got the win against Struecker and Kleckner 2-0.
The 5-3 win for Spirit Lake/Okoboji advanced them to the Regional Final against St. Edmond of Fort Dodge. It was there where SL/O’s season came to an end at the hands of the Gaels 5-0.
This has been another team of the year feature from Northwest Iowa Now.
