Tennis - School record broken remain Undefeated

The dominance continues for the Valley City Hi-Liners girls tennis team. 🎾

Fresh off a historic performance at the Sheyenne Invite Saturday and another sweep Monday over Fargo South, the Hi-Liners continue to prove they are not just one of the best teams in the EDC — they’re one of the premier programs in the entire state and possibly the only team to beat.

At the center of it all is senior leader Kailee Nielson, who etched her name into Hi-Liner history this past weekend by breaking the school’s all-time career wins record. Nielson secured career win No. 153 during the championship run at the Sheyenne Invite, surpassing Reagan Ingstad’s previous record of 152 that had stood since 2018. Since then, she has already added to that total with Valley City’s dual victories this week.

It’s another remarkable accomplishment in a career that already includes All-State honors, deep postseason runs, and championships across multiple sports. Nielson has helped lead Valley City to back-to-back state basketball titles, and now continues to anchor one of the strongest tennis teams the program has ever seen.

And the scary part for the rest of the EDC? The Hi-Liners are far from a one-player team.

At the prestigious Sheyenne Invite, Valley City posted a program-record 21 wins while tying the best team finish in school history by placing 6th overall in the statewide tournament.

The sister duo of Kailee Nielson and Skye Nielson defended their championship at No. 1 doubles, once again proving to be one of the elite pairings in North Dakota. Sophomore Skye also reached another milestone during the tournament, recording her 100th career victory — becoming the fastest Hi-Liner ever to do so.

Meanwhile, Georgia Zaun continued her breakout season by becoming the first Hi-Liner ever to reach the semifinals at No. 1 singles at the Sheyenne Invite, eventually placing fourth overall after battling some of the top players in the state.

Cambrie Westman also earned a fourth-place finish at third-flight singles, continuing a season filled with clutch super-tiebreak performances.

The depth of the lineup may be what makes this team especially dangerous heading toward postseason play. Ninth graders Chloe Liebersbach, Sophie Gilbertson, and Paige Tulp combined for nine wins at the invite, showcasing a young core already producing varsity-level results.

That momentum carried directly into Monday’s 9-0 sweep over Fargo South, played in brutal 25 mph winds that tested both teams physically and mentally.

Coach Jim Stoa praised the team’s attitude and composure throughout the difficult conditions, noting how the match should prepare the Hi-Liners for even tougher weather later in the week.

At No. 1 singles, Zaun delivered what coaches called the “match of the day,” battling through early unforced errors and saving two set points before eventually grinding out a straight-set win. Her ability to adjust strategically in the wind showed the growth of a player becoming one of the state’s premier singles competitors.

Westman continued her dominant stretch with two “double bagel” victories, while Kinlee Sufficool, Sara Beierle, Chloe Liebersbach, and the doubles teams all turned in commanding performances during the sweep.

The Hi-Liners entered Tuesday still undefeated in EDC play, with a massive regular-season showdown looming later this week against Grand Forks Red River that could ultimately decide the conference crown.