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Holmen High School's boys tennis team showed inconsistency in a week filled with stronger opponents such as Central and Sauk Prairie. That trait showed particulary well in the No. 1 singles match of Na Xiong against Viroqua's Chris Steele Friday at the Viking Elementary Courts.

Xiong lost the match to Steele 10-5 in a match tiebreak, converting two winners and a backhand lob to go up 5-3, before dropping the final seven points of the match. Xiong displayed similar tendencies late in the second set, serving at love down 0-4, including three winners, while winning just one point on his serve down 1-5.

Xiong took the early lead by breaking Steele in his first service game, including two clean forehand winners. Xiong shows a strong serve and strong serve-and-volley game at times, but also seems to struggle with when to go for the touch shot and when to go for the big shot.

Holmen did win that dual 5-2, however, clinching an above-.500 dual record for the second consecutive year. Chee Lor at No. 3 singles, along with Cole Wittwer and Tyler Kerska at No.1 doubles, were among the four Vikings teams to lose just two games.

HHS swept the singles flight in a 5-2 win over Durand the same day. Ethan Pedretti and Trent Bodin at No. 3 singles lost just one game, while Lor played No. 4 singles and lost just three games.

Matt Jameson at No. 1 singles and Mike Yang at No. 2 singles each won 6-4, 6-2, Isaiah Vang at No. 3 singles needed to go to a second-set tiebreak, but won 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

Xiong looked to be in good position to force a third set with league unbeaten Victor Mirasola of Central a night earlier, leading 3-2, 40-15 in the second set. But Mirasola rebounded to iwn the next two points and final four games of the match in a 6-2, 6-3 win. Pheng Lee and Vhue Lor at No. 2 doubles did not win a game, but didn't play as poorly as the score would indicate, according to Holmen head coach Greg Jameson.

Matt Jameson earned the Vikings lone win Monday in a 6-1 loss to Sauk Prairie, winning 6-3, 6-4. Xiong won his opening set, before losing by a break of serve in the second and getting bageled in the third.

Tuesday's match with Mississippi Valley Conference-leading Onalaska was not completed due to rain. A make-up date had not yet been determined as of the Community Life.

HHS entered the match 18-10 in league flight matches. Onalaska entered the dual 30-5 in league dual matches, with Holmen already scheduled for a rain-out make-up with Aquinas from April 17 and May 6 Wednesday afternoon (after deadline). Holmen entered Wednesday assured of standing no worse than fourth entering Thursday's league season-ending tournament (after deadline), though they could have moved past Central (24-18), and mathematically even Aquinas (25-10) and Onalaska.

Central got what could be a huge ruling when Aquinas was ruled to have used an ineligible player at No. 2 singles in their dual April 15. That also meant improperly flighted players at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, forcing Aquinas to forfeit all three matches.

The net effect was Central moving from 21-21 to 24-18, hurting the Vikings chances to catch the Red Raiders for third. But it also helped Onalaska, turning a two-point lead entering Thursday into a five-point advantage.