Girls tennis: Sudden rain shower halts match between Ottawa and Streator

STREATOR — As girls tennis players and coaches from Ottawa and Streator huddled out of the rain in a shed next to the Streator High School courts on Wednesday afternoon, Pirates’ coach Steve Johnson stated, “Well, one thing you can’t control is Mother Nature.”

With four matches at different stages of completion, an on-and-off mist turned into a brief, but heavy rain shower that postponed play.

Both Johnson and Streator coach Kaye Tallier said they hope the match can be rescheduled.

“Hopefully we can reschedule,” Tallier said. “But a date and time will have to be worked out by both school’s athletic directors.”

At the time of the stoppage, Ottawa No. 1 singles Layne Krug held a 6-0, 3-0 advantage over Streator’s Rheagan Goluba, while at No. 2, the Pirates’ Mika Moreland had just finished a 6-1 first set victory over the Bulldogs’ Garvi Patel.

In doubles, Ottawa’s No. 1 team of Rylee O’Fallon and Emma Cushing were just starting the second set after a 6-3 victory in the opening set over Streator’s Madelyn Wahl and Mina James, while the No. 2 Pirates duo of Makenzie Eichelkraut and Maura Condon trailed the Bulldogs’ Alex Mahan and Joyce Walkling 1-0 in the second set after a 6-0 win in the opening set.

The No. 3 doubles matchup of Ottawa’s Zulee Moreland/Peyton Bryson and Streator’s Aubrey DeMoss/Annie Michlik hadn’t started, waiting for a court to open.

Ottawa will next be in action Saturday at the Joliet West Tournament. Streator is off until Tuesday, when it hosts Princeton.