MINNEAPOLIS (KWAD) — The Fergus Falls and Alexandria Area girls tennis teams wrapped up their memorable 2025 state tournament runs on Wednesday afternoon, each turning in strong performances against some of Minnesota’s top competition. Fergus Falls capped its trip with an emphatic victory to claim the Class AA Consolation Championship, while Alexandria went toe-to-toe with powerhouse Eagan in the Class AAA consolation championship, ultimately falling 4-3.
The Otters saved their best for last, dominating Delano 6–1 to finish fifth in their first-ever Girls Tennis tournament. Fergus Falls swept all three doubles matches and took three of four singles to leave no doubt. Senior Ruby Ellison set the tone at No. 1 singles with a commanding 6–0, 6–3 win over Delano’s Brynn Spanier, while Ali Bredenberg and Signe Millard also won in straight sets. The lone three-set battle came at No. 2 singles, where Layla Zosel fell 6–7 (3), 6–2, 10–5 in a tight super tiebreak to Ava Seeger. In doubles play, the Otters were untouchable: Ashtyn Lill / Hattie Fullhart cruised to a 6–2, 6–3 win, Carsyn Lill / Dillyn Lill posted another 6–2, 6–3 victory, and Kaia Ness / Ella Black dominated 6–2, 6–1 to complete the sweep.
Over at the U of M, the Alexandria Cardinals closed their first-ever Class AAA State Tournament appearance with a razor-thin 4–3 defeat to Eagan, pushing one of the metro’s elite programs to the brink. The Stevenson sisters, Addison and Kennedy, each continued their exceptional play, blanking their Eagan opponents with identical 6–0, 6–0 victories at the top two singles spots. Bentley Kriel added a third point for Alexandria after surviving a tense three-set battle, rallying for a 7–6(6), 2–6, 10–6 win over Brynn Gleason.
Eagan earned its four points with wins at No. 1 doubles and two of the remaining singles courts, edging out Alexandria by the narrowest of margins. The Cardinals’ doubles duo Lucy Witte / Lily Eken delivered a 6–1, 6–3 victory at the No. 2 spot, and seniors Hope Stark / Alexis Dummer capped their careers with a strong 6–0, 6–3 win at No. 3 doubles.
Next up: several athletes from both programs — including Addison and Kennedy Stevenson for Alexandria and Ruby Ellison, Ashtyn Lill, and Dillyn Lill for Fergus Falls — will return to the court for the individual portion of the state tournament, which begins on Thursday morning.