mcj

MHS Tennis Excels at Home Invitational

Red Team Nearly Claims Title, Three Squads Show Program Depth in 8-Team Event

Treg Fawl

05 Sep 2025 • 2 min read

Photo Credit -Coach Brown

McPherson's tennis program showcased impressive depth at their home invitational Wednesday, with three Bullpup squads finishing among the top eight teams in ideal September conditions. Team Red came tantalizingly close to claiming the team championship, finishing second with 54 points behind Goddard Eisenhower's 57, while Team White placed fourth (32 points) and Team Black eighth (18 points) in the competitive eight-team field. The near-miss for the title was highlighted by outstanding doubles play, as McPherson's top two seeded teams met in the championship match, with Quinn Liebl and Avery Unruh—last year's state seventh-place finishers—rallying from a 4-1 deficit to defeat the freshman duo of Mayson Wiens and Lleyton Kuhn 8-6 for the doubles crown.

In singles action, Maryn Sandbo reached the finals for the second consecutive year but fell to Quinn Scheideman 8-4 in a hard-fought championship match, while Dragon Rodriguez overcame an early upset loss to finish ninth after winning her remaining matches. The 18-player showing across three teams demonstrated the program's remarkable depth, with Coach Brown noting the team's talent and physical ability while emphasizing the need for continued mental growth. "We have a ton of talent and physical ability, but we need to continue growing in how we handle our emotions and the mental side of the game," Brown said. "That growth will be key heading forward."

Team Red

Maryn Sandbo 3-1 2nd

Dragon Rodriguez 3-1 9th

Mayson Wiens / Lleyton Kuhn 3-1 2nd

Quinn Liebl / Avery Unruh 4-0 1st

Team White

Avery Eveland 0-4 16th

Ava Miller 2-2 7th

McKenna Paul / Erin Olson 2-2 6th

Piper VanCampen / Brenna Sullivan 2-2 7th

Team Black

Maddie Ekholm 2-2 13th