MINNEAPOLIS SOUTH 5, PRAIRIE SEEDS 2

South swept the doubles and split singles to defeat visiting Prairie Seeds on Wednesday. The Tigers, after the first round of action, were up 4-3 over the Lycans. They flipped first singles (more on that below). Singles was the most contentious of the matches with one lone point separating both teams. Three of the matches at singles went the distance with all three decided by three points or less in the final frame. South took two and that was the difference in the win. On the doubles side the Tigers roared with four of the six sets separated by ten or more points.

This was Prairie Seeds’ second match on the year. They swept Hiawatha Collegiate yesterday.

I now am down to one more team to chart. 23 of the 24 teams have now been charted. Tomorrow the final piece of the puzzle will fall into place.

SINGLES
1. Waralee Kntharak, S def Yer Yang 14-21, 21-12, 22-20
2. Christina Jong Pao, PS def Asha Mohamed 21-13, 21-18
3. Sarita Venkatrahnam, S def Mai Blia Yang 21-16, 20-22, 21-18
4. Xee Vang, PS def Ella Johnstad 21-13, 10-21, 21-18

DOUBLES
1. Nisa Kharunnisa/Deratu Ansha, S def Pang Zong Lee/Sueni Xiong 21-12, 21-10
2. Maddy Tennant/Jane Harris, S def Chanh Thi Thach Thi/Mai Chong Xiong 21-8, 21-7
3. Inga Schierkolk/Vivian Sieger, S def Clara Soto/Daisy Ayata 21-7, 21-16

BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: tied 2-2 .500
Games: Prairie Seeds 6-5 .545
points: Prairie Seeds 203-202 .501
decided by 10+: South 1-0 1.000
decided by 3-: Prairie Seeds 3-2 .600
margin: Prairie Seeds 0.091
DOUBLES
Matches: South 3-0 1.000
Games: South 6-0 1.000
points: South 126-60 .677
decided by 10+: South 4-0 1.000
decided by 3-: none
margin: South 11.00

FIRST SINGLES

Waralee KANTHARAK 2, Yer YANG 0
(14-21, 21-12, 22-20)

South’s Waralee Kantharak picked up her fifth win of the year with a comeback victory over Prairie Seed’s Yer Yang. The comeback started in set two with Kantharak trailing 11-8. Ten unanswered points later the momentum of the match had shifted squarely behind the Southerner. Kantharak had more winners (+8) on the day with the clears getting to double digit status at ten. The clears were used more in force in the third set with five falling for points. Kantharak specifically targeted the left back corner. However it wasn’t the clear that paved the way for the comeback. It was a combination of drives and Yang hitting errors that turned the tide. Yang tended to go wide with the right side tending to sail out. The comeback almost boomeranged on Kantharak. In the final frame the Tiger was sailing along at 11-4 with the obligatory switching of sides. Immediately after the flip Yang surged forward with a run of four and a run of six two services later to pull in front 15-13. This time it was Kantharak that had trouble keeping the bird in play with the right front the prime missed target. Yang remained in front up to 19-18. Kantharak’s side out game kicked in and she silenced Yang’s last three services. A key moment started that particular side out run when Yang, a bit too aggressive at the net, cranked a smash but also contacted the net. Yang delivered 11 winners via the smash with a charge to the net. Four times her smashes were in front of the service line. With that error it turned a potential 19-16 advantage to 18-17. On Kantharak’s last four services she was able to squeeze at least one point off serve. That inched the Tiger in front 20-19. Yang was able to hold off match point the first time. Kantharak scored on a drive to get the bird back. The final point ended on a serve receive in the net.

Category	KANTHARAK	YANG
Side out	14/27-.519	14/29-.483
3+ Runs	5	6
Longest point string	10	6
Service points	31	26
Serving %	.948	.925
Points generated off serve	.534	.491
Overall points	58	53
Points after 11	31(.534)	27(.509)
Points after own errors	14(.241)	11(.208)
Strokes	196	186
Strokes per point	3.379	3.509
5+ rallies	11(.189)	12(.226)
2- rallies	21(.362)	14(.264)
WINNERS	34	26
Aces	1(.029)	0
Blocks	0	3(.115)
Clears	10(.294)	5(.192)
Drives	7(.206)	2(.077)
Drops	3(.088)	5(.192)
Soft drives	6(.176)	0
Smashes	8(.235)	11(.423)
ERRORS	27	24
Deep	2(.074)	4(.167)
Fan	0	1(.042)
Net	10(.370)	7(.292)
Wide	12(.444)	8(.333)
Serve	3(.111)	4(.167)
WINNER LOCATION
Back line	10(.294)	6(.231)
Middle	12(.353)	10(.385)
Front line	10(.294)	8(.308)
Left	13(.382)	13(.500)
Right	19(.589)	12(.462)
W:E Ratio	1.259	1.083
Margin	1.667
Set Point %	2/3-.667
Time	24:03.24