Bennington Tennis Earns First Varsity Dual Win as Postseason Nears

3–4 minutes

By Marisa Dawson

A young male tennis player hitting a ball on a court, with spectators seated in the background.

The Bennington High School boys tennis team is continuing to gain experience against strong competition as the regular season winds down, with the postseason now just around the corner.

The Badgers competed in a pair of events Sept. 21-22 before returning home for a Sept. 28 match against Bellevue East. While the team faced some difficult competition during the stretch, the week also brought a milestone for the program: Bennington’s first varsity dual victory.

Bennington opened the stretch with a Sept. 21 match at Elkhorn North High School, where the Badgers fell 0-12 without an individual victory. The following day, the team competed at the EMC Championship at Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln, finishing fifth as a team.

A young male tennis player preparing to hit a yellow tennis ball on a blue court, with spectators and cars visible in the background.
A young male tennis player is in mid-swing, preparing to hit a yellow tennis ball with a blue racket. The scene includes a tennis court surrounded by a chain-link fence, with spectators sitting in the background.
A young male tennis player hitting a forehand shot on a blue tennis court, with another player visible in the background.
A young male tennis player serving the ball on a court, with a focus on his motion and concentration.
Young male tennis player in a black shirt and shorts, preparing to hit a tennis ball on a court.
A young male tennis player serves the ball while standing on a court, with a fence in the background.
A young male tennis player serving a ball on a court, wearing a black shirt and shorts.

Bennington’s top singles players also turned in strong individual performances at the conference championship. No. 1 singles player Gavin Kass, a senior, finished second, while No. 2 singles player Tate Herber, a freshman, placed fourth.

Kass advanced to the conference championship match, where his only loss of the tournament came against a player from Gretna East. He later had an opportunity for a rematch when Bennington faced Gretna East in a triangular and came away with a 9-7 victory.

Coach Lance Sindelar said the conference championship provided an important opportunity for the Badgers to see the level of competition they will need to reach as they continue developing.

“Seeing all of the competition in our conference was a great opportunity to show our team what the teams in our conference look like and, more importantly, what level we need to be at to be competitive moving forward,” Sindelar said. “Anytime our players can go out and compete against the best players in our conference will only help them improve and refocus on what they can continue working on.”

The team also received encouragement from opposing coaches who have noticed Bennington’s progress throughout the season.

“It has been really fun getting to know the other coaches and players in our conference and hearing them speak on the talent we have on our team,” Sindelar said. “One coach told me that he was scouting our team prior to seeing us and was told by another coach that ‘they were glad they got to play us early, because they are going to improve fast’. That was such a good thing to hear and to be able to share with the team as a testament to their hard work they are putting in and other teams see it.”

That improvement culminated in the Sept. 28 home match against Bellevue East, when the Badgers recorded their first varsity dual victory.

Bennington won both of its doubles matches that contributed to the team victory. Kass and Herber earned the win at No. 1 doubles, while Bennett Sindelar and Cooper Plas, both freshmen, won at No. 4 doubles.

A young male tennis player in a black shirt and shorts prepares to hit a tennis ball on a court, with spectators sitting behind a fence in the background.
A male tennis player serves the ball on an outdoor court, wearing a black shirt and shorts, with a grassy field in the background.
A young male tennis player serving the ball on a blue tennis court, wearing a black shirt and shorts, with a focused expression.
A young male tennis player in mid-air, swinging a racquet to hit a tennis ball during a match, with a court and net in the background.
A young male athlete in sunglasses and a black shirt playing tennis, positioned to hit a incoming ball on a blue tennis court.
A young male tennis player in a black shirt and shorts is executing a backhand shot while hitting a tennis ball on a bright blue court.

The Badgers also picked up five singles victories. Kass won at No. 1 singles, Herber won at No. 2, Jesus Mar Macossay, a junior, won at No. 5, Bennett Sindelar won at No. 7 and Plas won at No. 8.

The historic victory was a reflection of the work the players have put in throughout the season, according to Sindelar.

“I was really excited for the team on getting their first team win in school history and felt it really showcased the hard work and improvement they have had over the course of the year,” he said.

With districts and the state tournament approaching, the Badgers have limited opportunities remaining to fine-tune their game before postseason competition begins.

“We are really looking forward to continuing to work on getting better as a team and putting an emphasis on improving everyday,” Sindelar said. “We have only a couple of duals left in the season before the state tournament, so putting an emphasis on the details will be important as we move forward.”

For a young program continuing to establish itself, the recent results provide both a milestone and a measuring stick. The Badgers have seen where they stand against some of the conference’s strongest competition, earned their first varsity dual victory and now have the opportunity to carry that progress into the postseason.

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