“A once-in-a-lifetime gift.”
That’s how L’Anse Creuse North tennis coach John Broder describes the Crusaders’ No. 1 singles player, Harmonie Cain.
Cain got LCN off to a good start Wednesday when the Crusaders met Ford in a battle of unbeaten Macomb Area Conference White Division teams. Cain’s 6-1, 6-0 win against Nikki Singh got North rolling to a 6-2 victory against the Falcons.
“Number one is always a big one. That sets the stage for everything,” Broder said. “Our two and three doubles coming back to win was big, too.”
It’s hard to believe Cain is only a freshman, but she started playing when she was 8 and has taken lessons at several tennis establishments in Macomb County and beyond.
Cain came into her match with a determined mindset.
“It was to stay aggressive, stay consistent and trust my shots,” she said. “Just play like Harmonie.”
Cain has a powerful serve which can often result in an ace.
“Different days I have different strengths, but usually I’d say my serve is my biggest strength,” she said. “To start a game you have to serve.”
Tennis wasn’t Cain’s first sport.
“I did swimming. I still do volleyball. Track, karate, boxing and a bunch of other stuff,” she said. “Tennis runs in the family. I’m a lefty and that’s a good strength for tennis. I still like the other sports. I just felt that tennis was really me. I think it was a good decision that will play off in the long run.”
Cain comes from an athletic family. Several of her cousins were all-county basketball players and her uncle, Mike Jackson, is the boys basketball coach at Lake Shore.
Broder said that Cain’s value to the LCN team goes beyond the No. 1 singles victory she gives the Crusaders.
“Other girls can see how she plays,” he said. “Even as a freshman she’s a role model. It’s a gift having her. She’s a class kid from a class family. She’s having a ball. She likes being part of this team.”
After she completed her match, Cain made stops around the courts, cheering on her teammates.
The second and third doubles matches were close matches that could have gone either way, however LCN prevailed in each of them. Sydney Taylor and Keegan Walker edged Taylor Denz and Brooke Zupan 7-5, 6-4 at No. 2. The Crusaders’ third doubles team of Aurelia Smyda and Emerson Wrobel won the only three-setter of the match, defeating Jaclyn Dudde and Sarah Borland 6-3, 6-7 (7-3), 6-2.
LCN also got key wins from second and third singles. Ella Griffith defeated Rosana Pantalena 6-3, 7-5 at No. 2 and Kameryn Champine was a 6-4, 6-2 winner against Olivia Elliott at No. 3.
“When we play against them in two and three singles it’s like playing against themselves,” Broder said. “Back and forth and long points. They have to understand they’re going to hit a lot of shots. For Ella to outlast that girl was key, but Ella’s been doing that all season.”
North’s No. 1 doubles team of Sam Curtis and Clancy Walker defeated Ford’s Kaitlyn Garon and Ella Bajric 6-2, 6-1.
Ford’s Maddie Douglas defeated Emma DiPaola 6-1, 6-3 at four singles and the Falcons fourth doubles team of Layla Bajric and Marisa Kado beat Julia Midbo and Adalyn Wrobel 6-0, 6-1.
“Our fourth doubles has lost only one match — to Eisenhower which is one of the best teams in the state,” said Ford coach Stephen Nellis. “It’s a freshman (Kado) and a junior who played JV last year. (Bajric) worked hard all offseason.”
Photos from L’Anse Creuse North tennis’ 6-2 win over Ford on Wednesday
Nellis said that hard work during the offseason is what has led the Falcons to a successful season after suffering heavy graduation losses from the team that was 12-1-1 last year and tied Dakota for first place in the MAC White tournament.
“We’ve had a great season,” Nellis said. “We lost a lot of seniors so it was kind of a wild card season. We didn’t know what we were going to get but we had a lot of players work during the offseason. Players got lessons and drills. They got so much better that we’ve wound up having a fantastic year.
“It was a hard-fought match today. We’re a little disappointed because we wanted to keep it going but the girls played hard and did their best. They love the game. They love to play.”
