Cowgirls over the Lady Nighthawks of Northern Guilford 6-3 in conf tennis action 

So let’s set the stage….Mr. Taylor [new drama teacher], figuratively speaking of course.

The checklist:

• First day of school
• Conference match
• Away match
• Far far away match
• Warmer day (high of 88 degrees) – Liam, don’t worry, the WBT was well under control!
• Lots of sunshine
• Limited clouds
• On courts older than the incoming freshmen with substantial cracks
• Football players practicing right behind the courts
• Begin the match at 5pm and finally leave the court at 9pm
• Don’t forget about the drive back…past the barn that burned down 5 yrs ago, right at the corner where that deer almost hit us, and do you remember that store?  Go past that altogether for ‘bout 5 miles or until you went too far and then make the other right….and let’s do it in the dark with the quality of lights on the bus being highly suspect….Thank you Guilford County!
  
  
  
  Yes, go ahead and check all the above as complete….
  
  
  
  No, it really wasn’t a bad experience.  True there were quite a few items I would rather have left unchecked, but not bad overall.
  
  
  
  For example:

• The bus started
• Sunshine is a good time/no rain
• No/limited homework for the first day of school
• No deer
• Everyone made it safely back to school/home
  
  
  
  Yes, Coach is Grateful.
  
  
  
  Shall we read about the matches now?  Good!
  
  
  
  The Cowgirls played quite well for Singles…Dubs too, but the outcome were opposite for the team as a whole.
  
  
  
  Singles #1 with Audrey Serb at the helm…well, The Cowgirls were well in charge on Court 1.  Only allowing a pittance 1 game for each set played, Audrey simply overwhelmed her opponent 1 and 1.  The Nighthawks player hit well but was no match to the fury displayed on the opposite side of the net.  Overhitting as she went, Audrey was victorious.
  
  
  
  Lauren ran afoul of the Nighthawks #2.  Solid of a player, the Nighthawk took control of the match from the get go.  Lauren moved better than in past matches, but seemed 3-4 inches away from the angles put on display by her opponent.  Serves were serves on Court 2….Lauren couldn’t find a rhythm to the play and as such, went out 0 and 1.  
  
  Anna traded served with her opponent until 3 all.  Holding serve she broke the Nighthawk to take the first set 6-3.  Not to be outdone, the Nighthawk held her serve in the second set and began to pull away from Anna.  Down 0-3, Anna rallied as well.  Longer points, deeper shots, and making Coach smile, more aggressive play from Anna stemmed the bleeding of the Court 3 Cowgirl.  Settling in, Anna held (1-3), but so did the Nighthawk…now 1-4.  Luckily Anna had her big girl britches in her bag.  
  
  
  
                 Hold
  
                 Break
  
                 Hold…tied at 4
  
                 Nighthawk hold…..4-5
  
                 Anna Hold….5 all
  
                 And to conclude, Anna broke and held to take the second set 7-5.  
  
  This was a great win for Anna.  Kudos to the #3 Nighthawk and her challenge for the win, pushing Anna’s game to evolve throughout the match.  6-3, 7-5
  
  
  
  Rachael had her hands full on Court 4.  Both sides of the court holding or breaking each other in grand fashion….until bringing it back to a tie at 4 all, Rachael broke the Nighthawk and held through her serve.  Yes, Anna’s, Rachael’s, and what you read shortly, Betsy’s, Jada’s and all the dubs matches were incredible close in play and score on most courts.
  
  
  
  Back to Rachael.  Rachael’s game did little to impress the Nighthawk who had her own stylized play to push back on the imposing Cowgirl.  Rachael simply offered less mistakes than her opponent through both the first and second sets.  The second set went the same as the first.  Longer rallies, good ball movement from both sides, but Rachael, held and this time, broke twice to win the match.  It was warm out today.  Rachael was tired.  It was a good match.  4 and 3.  
  
  
  
  Though Betsy’s score does not indicate any great battle, let the reader know the point were long.  The gross sum of games played was less than on court #4, but the time was nearly the same.  Many rallies played.  Many games going to deuce…a few multiple times, and Betsy held strong.  Time and time again the Nighthawk wrote an embossed invitation to Betsy to come up to the net with the long-long-short shot rotation she had.  Betsy, though now in her comfort zone, accepted the invitation again and again….approaching to the net, hitting a deeper shot most times, she was able to consistently win the majority of points she was invited to join at the net.  Again, this Nighthawk was not impressed by the shots Betsy put on display, but she did eventually succumb to the consistency of her opponent.  3 and 1.  Betsy grew in having to play a game she had not practiced a lot of in her previous exploits in the top six or even in exhibition over the last two years.  Coach’s heart was very happy for Betsy.  
  
  
  
  Jada continues to impress on court 6.  Having only begun the game in the past year and this being the first season of competition, Jada and well secured her role in the top 6 for the Cowgirls.  Can she take her opponents from side to side without effort?  No. Can she keep the ball in play and as opportunity rises, hit towards the sides of the court?  Yes.  Though not a definitive of a game play as some of the higher courts, Jada is finding her game and more so, finding her strengths through the game play.
  
  
  
  The first set went well.  Much like Betsy’s first, Jada and the Nighthawk remained on serve through the first 6 games to tie at 3 all.  Jada held , broke, and held again to take the first.  The Nighthawk came back with a renewed sense of vigor and began challenging for most of the games.  On serve through the first 8 games, 4 all, Jada was broken.  Coach was not amused.  Jada bounced back, taking the win off her opponent’s serve and holding her own.  Now up 6-5, though down the first point after an errant shot into the net……down love-30 after an errant ball off the side and out….15-30 with a dribble of a ball across the net and under the racket of the Nighthawk….
  
  
  
  Coach continues to pace back and forth.
  
  
  
  A longer rally of 12 shots…30 all
  
  
  
  Another long rally….but fortune smiled on the Nighthawk this point…..30-40
  
  
  
  A good return, short rally and the Nighthawk sails it long.  Deuce.  
  
  
  
  What Coach wishes he could say…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hHDxlm66dE
  
  
  
  Clearly, change the pronoun.
  
  
  
  And two points later, Jada comes out on top…the Nighthawk retains her heart, spine, head….Dear reader, if you do not know what I am referencing….You apparently never played the arcade (think before the Nintendo Wii…heck, it orig came out for Sega…..yes, Sonic’s game parent) version of Mortal Combat (play online! - https://arcadespot.com/game/mortal-kombat-game/) .  
  
  
  
  Jada, though still developing her play, was challenged by a much deeper ball than in the last two weeks preventing her beautiful crosscourt to the backhand shot to factor heavily into her win tonight.  Hats off to Jada and her finding a path to victory.  6-3, 7-5.
  
  
  
  
  
  So….Cowgirls win the match 5-1 in singles.  This is an ideal position to be in for any Coach/team since the victory is not just in hand, but now recorded in the books.
  
  
  
  Dubs…Cowgirls played full up.  Serb/McGinnis, Dee/Chen, Speight/Caroline Church.
  
  
  
  Once more, the dubs prowess of the Nighthawks proved to be more than formidable.  Creating a much better mix in dubs that separately as singles players, all three court had to dig deep to halt the Nighthawk’s wave….but in the end, only one took that title.
  
  
  
  Audrey and Anna fell behind from the onset.  Though placement was adequate, a good deal of overhitting plagued the #1 Dubs court.  From Anna in finding the balance of placement/power/aggression and from Audrey in pure aggression.  Starting in the hole, over the next 11 games the Cowgirls brought it back after going down 0-3 initially.  Now at 7 all, Cowgirls serving to take the lead…overhitting went to a new level.  Though net play was solid, the Nighthawks had dropped to the baseline in the comeback frenzy from the Cowgirls…The Nighthawks playing heavy on defense, and going for broke on the returns and crosscourt shots, that simply landed more than the Cowgirls could put away.  Too plagued by mistakes, Audrey and Anna drop the #1 dubs match 7-9.
  
  
  
  Rachael and Betsy didn’t fare any better.  Inspired play from both sides, both teams held their serve throughout the match save for one exchange of serve.  A familiar place…7 all.  Once more mistakes mounted, simply shots not put away and second chances offered.  The Nighthawks took advantage of the Cowgirls by breaking their serve and holding their own to win.  Once more on the evening, 7-9.
  
  
  
  Can we make it a third time?  Coach really hopes not.  As the clock nears the 9 o’clock hour (yes reader, the girls play hard, but their matches take forever!) court 3 dubs pull it to a 7 all tie.  The Nighthawks hold.  Jada back to serve….a double fault.  Ad court serve….a wicked return from the Nighthawk.  Love – 30.  Inspired play, a deep corner or two…a good net play complete with volley and overhead…the Nighthawks tank the ball into the net…The Cowgirls even it up and force the tiebreak.
  
  
  
  Coach continues to pace.  He imagines this is why there are not bars on school property….between the stress of school and the scoring predicaments his tennis ladies get into….luckily he doesn’t drink because after 13 previous seasons, his liver would need a replacement.  
  
  
  
  Nighthawks serving….
  
                 Nighthawks dump the ball into the net.
  
                                1-0
  
                 Jada serving, first ball called out, second ball in, deep return, lifted back, Nighthawks hit it long
  
  2-0
  
                 Jada serving again, middle of the court 2^nd serve, over Caroline’s head, Jada backs up, a deep ball return cross court, the Nighthawk once more finds the bottom of the net.
  
  3-0
  
                 Nighthawks serving…a light hit, Cowgirls return cross court, winner
  
  4-0
  
                 Serve #2, errant return from the Cowgirls
  
  4-1
  
                 Church serving, in, return to Church, a beautiful backhand down the line with a slight lift to the corner….no chance for the Nighthawks.  
  
  5-1
  
                 Church Serve #2, in, Nighthawks put it together and win the point
  
  5-2
  
                 Nighthawks serve, in, Jada returns crosscourt, short lofty return, Jada on it, smaller hit from Jada to the open court.
  
  6-2
  
                 Serve #2, short, Church takes it as normal again, crosscourt to the deuce side, error from the opponents as the ball finds the net and to take the match, Cowgirls, 7-2 in the tiebreak.
  
  
  
  Final Score of Dubs#3, 9-8 (7-2).
  
  
  
  Cowgirls take the conference match 6-3.
  
  
  
  Final notes given, on the bus by 9:15, back at school in record time (just kidding, it is a bus, they do not travel fast).  Ladies now gone, Coach loads his car and head home at 10pm after sending in his mileage to the buss office.  
  
  
  
  Midnight and Coach finishes writing his piece.  Good night, dear Reader.  Expect another exciting writeup after our HPCA match Tuesday, Aug 30^th, at home, play beginning at 5pm.  Come see us if you can.
  
  
  
  
  
  Audrey Serb (SW) over Lyndsay Lambis (NG) 6-1, 6-1  
  
  Cassie Townes (NG) over (SW) Lauren Harris 0-6, 1-6  
  
  Anna Mcginnis (SW) over Gracen Wise (NG) 6-3, 7-5  
  
  Rachael Dee (SW) over Cate Wise (NG) 6-4, 6-3 
  
  Betsy Chen (SW) over Emma Clothier (NG) 6-3, 6-1 
  
  Jada Speight (SW) over Audrey Wrinkle (NG) 6-3, 7-5 
  
   
  
  Lambis/Townes (NG) over Serb/McGinnis (SW) 7-9  
  
  Wise/Wise (NG) over Dee/Chen (SW) 7-9  
  
  Speight/ Caroline Church (SW) over Clothier/Wrinkle (NG) 9-8(7-2) 
  
   
  
  Cowgirls rise to 2-1 in the conference, 4-2 overall 
  
  Nighthawks drop to 1-1 in both conf and overall. 
  
   
   
  Cowgirls will host the Lady Cougars of HPCA on Tuesday, Aug 30.  Play begins at 5.