Aug 20

Home v HPCA non-Conference tennis action

Even after HPCA’s AD called and said they had lost 4 of their top six, I was still apprehensive about playing the Lady Cougars.  In short, they are good. Not just at the top, but top down, they hit long and hard with good angles...and they serve hard. The Cowgirls are a young bunch.  Two underclassmen were out today from the top six and I was feeling the stress of what was sure to be a tight match. In fact, the last time we played them SW lost 4-5 in three tie breakers by less than 5 points between them all.  I wonder if Rolaids sponsors high schools?!?! But we needed a challenge. and the Lady Cougars were the ones today.

Play began.  Up on 4,5,6. Down 1,2.  Pretty even on Gretchen Cross’ court, #3.

Still down on 1,2, but showing a glimmer of hope.  Drawing even on 5,6. Tighter on 4. Still even on Court 3.

Courts one and two (Meghan Whalen and Christina Alentino) held to their shots, but were of no match to a pair of bigger and more consistent hitters.  

0-2

Alethea Yu on Court 5 began to wane under the deeper, bigger hits of her opponents.

0-3

Court 6, Abby Lowe, a wildcard due to her eclectic hitting style, began to pull away, 8-3...a victory.

1-3

Courts 3 (Gretchen Cross) and 4 (Lanie Van Dorp), hitting well, trying to close out their respective matches.  Gretchen, a break up 7-4, impatient for the win sailed three shots far and away (please no Cruise and Kidman references).  The top of the fences almost didn’t contain them. Lanie’s opponent, a young freshman with a huge serve and forehand, found just enough traction to claw back from service break 7-6 - Cowgirl advantage.  

We needed these wins to stay in the match.

Within 2 minutes of each other, Gretchen settled down, up 40-30, finished out her serve for the match.  Lanie did the same, but with two deuce games, finally taking the match off an errant return from the Lady Cougar.  

3-3 singles tie.

For the uninitiated or for those with extremely short memories, you need to win 5 of the nine matches played...6 singles and 3 dubs.

A 3-3 tie means whichever team wins 2 of the 3 dubs will prevail.

Dubs court 3 was probable.  Even though Alethea had a time and a half with her girl on court 5, dubs becomes a different game.  But in that tonight was open house, I decided to play an entirely new set of ladies on this court.

Dubs court 1 was going to be tough.  Not gaining any traction in dubs, Whalen/Cross had their work cut out for them.  

Dubs two became the opportunity court.  Lanie - not a traditional dubs specialist.  Alethea, normally paired with Lauren Cook, had never played with Lanie.  Again, an opportunity court.

Dubs 1 came to a screeching halt after going 1-2 in the first three game with little hope save for the simply complete 4 points Whalen and Cross streamed off to take the third game.  Unfortunately, four points in a row couldn’t be duplicated and the top dubs team lost 1-8.

Court 3 went swimmingly.  On serve for the first 5 games, Cowgirls were up 3-2.  They had command of most of the points and it was just a matter of time before they broke the serve of the Cougars.  

4-2

5-2

5-3

And that was the last game the Cougars won on Court 3.  Tremendous effort from Morgan McGuire and Johaina Apolinario, dominating the net and great coverage of the backcourt in their victory.  

Dubs court 2

Van Dorp/Yu - never having played before together - came in confident.  The Cougars Dubs 2 looked a bit discouraged from their singles play, but teams have shaken off tougher losses before...but not this time.  Van Dorp/Yu went up early.

1-0

2-0

3-0

4-0

5-0

Cougar shots became sloppy, overpowered...in short, inconsistent.  

6-0

6-1 - the only hold of serve the Lady Cougars had all match

7-1

8-1 for Dubs 2 victory and victory of the entire dual team match.

SW took dubs 2-1

And the match 5-4 in a great night of tennis

Southwest Guilford Cowgirls over the Lady Cougars of HPCA in non-conference tennis action

Cowgirls over Lady Cougars 5-4 in a tight match

Singles:

Kami Kershaw (HPCA) over Meghan Whalen (SW) 8-1

Makenzie Shane (HPCA) over Christina Alentino (SW) 8-2

Gretchen Cross (SW) over Ashlyn Austin (HPCA) 8-5

Lanie Van Dorp (SW) over Kendall Harris (HPCA) 8-6

Nicole Warden (HPCA) over Alethea You (SW) 8-3

Abigail Lowe (SW) over Isabella Kiefer (HPCA) 8-3

Tied after singles 3-3

Dubs:

Kershaw/Shane (HPCA) over Whalen /Cross (SW) 8-1

Van Dorp/You (SW) over Austin/Harris (HPCA) 8-1

Morgan McGuire/Johaina Apolinario (SW) over Warden/Kiefer (HPCA) 8-3

Cowgirls 2-1 in dubs

Final 5-4 Cowgirls

Cowgirls rise to 5-0 in non conference play and will host Smith High School in Conference action on Wednesday

The Lady Cougars fall to 0-2 on the season