Sept 9, 2021

Southwest Cowgirls travel to Tiger Country  - Ragsdale – for W tennis conference action

Abridged Version

The night showed full of promise.  Having seen the results of Lady Tiger Play v other conference foes, the Cowgirls were well poised to play tough…and singles proved this true.

Audrey and Tran popped off the courts mere seconds apart from each other, easily handing their opponents. 

Grace was showing difficulties with her opponent, but coach wasn’t worried about the Queen of the third sets.

Lauren, though dropping the first set, chatted with Coach who simply said step back and allow the ball to come down to your hitting range and was holding her own in set 2. 

Anna was nearing the end of her first set still up.

Kate seemed to be playing her game and also had nearly taken the first set.

Again, promise and hope were welling up in Coach’s soul.

Though Lauren was holding her own, it was tight.  Court 4 continue on serve until the last game where Lauren pushed and her opponent pulled and Lauren wan 7-5.  Into the third set tiebreaker, Lauren was determined.  Finding her path to a win, she continued her approach and gaining two more points than her rival, vanquished the Lady Tiger 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-7).  A good win for the Cowgirls.  A Good footwork victory from Lauren!

Anna’s opponent found an outcropping of moxie and shot selection that was growing beneath the bench…along with some gum I think….gross!  She took that gumption (moxie + shots selection = gumption [math shout out!!!]) and parleyed it into a close second set.  Better shots emitting from the Lady Tiger, better footwork too!  The footwork was the difference in the second set.  On serve throughout most of the set, Anna earned a break and through gritty play and much tenacity, held her opponent off and secured the second set and victory for Court 5.

Grace, Queen Grace.  Grace ended up having an off day.  Unable to convert the momentum of the match going into the second set, coupled with the rock stead push from her opponent, Grace ends her 3 set record at 4 in a row.  Don’t worry Grace, there is still a lot of season left to play.

Kate, though she won the first set, begin to hit out and very well.  On the surface, this line should through the reader into a small confusion.  Coach had prefaced this last bit with “Though…”  Doesn’t sound good.

Kate began hitting really nicely.  Good depth, good height over the net, she even managed to move the Lady Tiger Around a bit.  Unfortunately, this improved play on her part played right into the strength of her opponent.  Yes, Coach wants the Cowgirls to hit well, with more pace, deeper, etc, but finding her comfort spot, the Lady Tiger was able to deliver her shots back with better intent.  If the reader remembers the lessons we have learned about pushers, Kate is a recovering Pusher.  No ill will meant.  Most beginning players are pushers by nature….developing shot by shot (over time) into a more consistent, deeper hitting player and Kate is a perfect example of this effect. 

Hitting into the opponents wheelwell gave the Lady Tiger the advantage.  Balls were deeper to her and stopped her rushed running and error filled hitting.  Balls rose nicely from the court according to the bounce allow her to better hit harder on the ball…all of this to the chagrin on Kate.

6-7 (2-7) a tiebreaker, but not one that fell to the Cowgirls.

On changeover before the third, Coach pointed out this fact and suggested Kate change her approach back to old Kate v Kate ++.  And for a time, this worked well.  Up a few points, her opponent decided to change her approach and not let this one get away. 

I short (too late!), Kate kept it in play, but the Lady Tiger continued to keep it in play longer and just outside of Kate’s power band…she falls 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 0-1 (8-10).

This ended up being the deciding match of the night, though no one knew it at the time.

Up 4-2 with only one more match to win, Coach felt relaxed.

Court one would be tough.

Coach fully expected a win on 2

Court 3 would have opportunities, but even after the strength shown v SEG on court 3, Coach was ready to cash in his chips yet.

Court 3 played well, moved well and adjusted nicely, but in the end they were not enough to hold back the Lady Tiger.

4-3

Court 2 went down early but the tenacity of both Anna and Audrey clawed it back into contention.  Down, even, down, even, up, even…a tiebreaker.

For every good shot there was of equal disappointment from court two.  Simply put, this is not the way to win a match.  8-9 (5-7).

4-4

Court one.

Moments of great, streaks of blah.  To the Lady Tigers credit, they fought admirably.  In the end a loss, both on the court and for the match.

4-5

A heartbreaker to lose, but especially to lose to Ragsdale after being up. 

Yes, we all have days.  For a few of the players, they all had their day today.  The confluence of this event reverberated throughout the match and as it turns out, was enough to derail the progress of the Cowgirls.

Cowgirls even up over all and in conference play.

4-4, 3-3 respectively.

They travel to NWG on Monday.  Readers, pray.  NW will be tough.

Audrey Serb (sw) over Ruby Kemp(R) 6-3, 6-0

Tran Nguyen (SW) over Lexi Honeycutt(R) 6-2, 6-2

Ella Perez(R) over Grace Parsons (SW) 3-6, 1-6

Lauren Harris (SW)   over   Caroline Mott(R). 4-6, 7-5 10-7

Anna McGinnis(SW). Over Cameryn Wright(R)  6-1, 7-5

Emma McNamara(R). Over Kate Cherry(SW)   2-6, 7-6(7-2), 10-8   

Ruby Kemp/Ella Perez(R) over Tran Nguyen/Grace Parsons (SW) 8-6

Lexi Honeycutt/Caroline Mott(R) over 

Audrey Serb/Anna McGinnis (SW) 9-8(7-5)

Cameryn Wright/Ava Tracey(R) over

Kate Cherry/Betsy Chen (SW) 4-8

Cowgirls lose to the lady tigers 4-5 overall

Kudus for their strength and sweeping of doubles.

Cowgirls fall to 4-4 overall and 3-3 in conference
 

Cowgirls travel to northwest on Monday