FARGO, N.D. — Less than 24 hours after a tough 5-4 loss to Fargo Davies, the Valley City Hi-Liners responded with a commanding 8-1 win over Fargo North Tuesday at Elephant Park, showing resilience, growth, and grit across the lineup.
“We were a totally different team today — mentally, physically, and emotionally,” said head coach Matt Nielson. “Without a practice, our players fixed things from Monday using their minds and hearts. That’s special.”
From the first ball, the Hi-Liners played inspired tennis, starting with a sweep of all three doubles matches.
Doubles Dominance and Career Milestone
The top duo of Skye and Kailee Nielson breezed through a 6-0, 6-1 win, while Georgia Zaun and Sara Beierle remained undefeated on the week with a steady 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles. The victory was extra special for Zaun — marking her 100th career win.
“By my records, that puts Georgia with elite company as only the fifth player in Hi-Liner history to reach 100 career wins,” Nielson said. “She’s playing smart, consistent, and confident tennis.”
Georgia carried that momentum into singles with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win. Beierle, meanwhile, showed true grit and growth after dropping the first set 3-6. She rallied with improved footwork, poise, and execution to take the match 3-6, 7-5, 10-5.
“Sara proved to herself and everyone that she is a good tennis player capable of great things,” Nielson said. “Her second set and tiebreaker footwork was her best ever.”
Breakout Performances from Youth Movement
Eighth grader Lexi Svenningsen and first-year junior Rylyn Johnson rolled in doubles 6-0, 6-1 using textbook Hi-Liner strategy — attacking the net, consistent groundstrokes, and smart footwork.
“Lexi improved an awesome amount today — mentally and physically,” Nielson said. “Rylyn’s improvement continues to be remarkable. Her effort, attitude, and coachability are off the charts.”
Svenningsen battled in singles, falling 6-3, 6-4 to a tough opponent, while Chloe Liebersbach bounced back from a rough Monday with a resounding 6-3, 6-0 win.
“Chloe brought 100% mental and physical effort today,” Nielson said. “It showed in her limited unforced errors and the scoreboard.”
Nielson’s Lead from the Top
Skye and Kailee Nielson delivered a pair of strong wins at the top of the lineup. Skye used her expanding skill set — including a successful chip-and-charge tactic — in a 6-2, 6-0 win. Kailee smartly targeted her opponent’s backhand to cruise to a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
“Proud of them as their coach and dad,” said Nielson. “But they finished their matches so quickly, I barely got to watch!”
The Hi-Liners improve to 3-4 in the EDC and will look to keep the momentum rolling Thursday at home against Fargo South.