Strong Season Comes to End for Simley Boys Tennis Team

A strong season came to a frustrating end for the Simley boy’s tennis team Tuesday.

The Spartans lost to Apple Valley 7-0 in the first round of the Section 3AA playoffs, putting a damper on an otherwise solid season. Simley went 3-14 last year, but finished 10-6 this year.

When the Spartans started the season by losing its first two matches of the season, it looked like more of the same from a team that struggled in 2010. Even though those losses were to Mahtomedi and St. Thomas Academy — two traditionally strong programs — the Spartans won only one of 13 matches in those two competitions.

But head coach Clay Sollenberger knew his team was better than those performances indicated. And he was right. The Spartans defeated North Saint Paul, St. Paul Johnson and Bloomington Kennedy in their next three meets, winning 19 of 21 matches in the process. They then went on to win seven of their next eight competitions and finished the regular season 10-6.

Despite the loss to Apple Valley on Tuesday, it was quite a turn around.

"We got some wins early and got some confidence," said Sollenberger. "That really helped us start to believe we could win. “

Simley High School freshman Nate Eddy, who plays with Jake Short on the Spartans number one doubles pair, said an offseason of training, camps and hard work was key to that turnaround.

"A lot of the guys really worked at their game in the offseason," said Eddy. "We just played as much tennis as we could."

The team blossomed under Sollenberger's leadership. Although he's in his second year as the head boys and girls coach at Simley, his full-time job is instructing at the Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center in St. Paul. He's previously coached at Visitation, Mounds Park Academy and Henry Sibley. In other words, he spends his life teaching and coaching tennis.

"Coach Sollenberger brings a positive attitude to every practice," says Simley High School Activities Director Will Short. "He also brings a true love of the game to the team. This combination promotes a great atmosphere for the Simley tennis players to grow and improve in the sport of tennis."

In addition to Short and Eddy, those playing key roles for the Spartans this year were senior co-captains Tom Wagner and Carver Peterson, seniors Tomas Icenogle and Dillon McClung, sophomore Brandon Walkush, freshman Pete Johnson and eighth-graders Ryan Haala and Kyle Nordstrom.

But it’s not all over — the Section 3AA individual and doubles tournament takes place next week — giving the Spartans another chance to add to an already successful season.