Aug 23, 2023

Cowgirls travel to the Lady Hornets of Western Guilford County

The weather turned out to be a bit less hot…we were even blessed by a slight breeze from the <pick your direction>.  No heat delay here.  We were golden.

If the reader remembers from last season, though taking care of business the first meet up, Coach chose to play up to the Lady hornets the second time we played allowing then #1 Audrey Serb to sit out singles and allow Anna McGinnis the opportunity to play up at one.  Close as it was, WG #1 Nadia handled Anna in two sets without much fan fair. 

Fast forward to this season, Audrey now playing Division 1 tennis at Queens University in Charlotte, Anna McGinnis has to take lead as top billing for the Cowgirls.  Tight from the get go.  Anna with a bigger game than last year fought well throughout the first set.  Nadia serving first in the set and no breaks until the 12h game where Anna was barely broke by Western’s #1.  5-7.

Chatting briefly with Anna, Coach laid it out for the jr.  Nadia had a slightly more consistent bigger hit and her serves were good, but Anna needed to play her game in spite of the bigger hitter across the net.  And this she most certainly did.  Not trying to play Up to Nadia’s pace and angles, Anna opted to slow the ball down and lift her shots higher to still give depth of ball.  Not moving toward the ball, Nadia’s game began to falter.  Reaching, her consistency dropped.  The angles disappeared and the errors mounted.  This is much akin to the slow ball in baseball.  The batter is so keen to the timing of the fast ball they whiff the swing because of the off timing.  2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, 6-1.  Though Nadia’s serves were better, tonight was about the footwork.  Anna simply outplayed Nadia in the second.

Ties up court 1 went to the 3^rd set tiebreaker.

And it was close.  Coach doesn’t have the point by point record, but shots were traded and both these ladies’ serves were disrupted by the other multiple times.

6 all, they swapped sides.  Anna continued to play her game, long rally, Nadia hit it into the net. 

7-6. Service, rally, Nadia’s footwork stalled, reach, hit out off the left side near the baseline.

8-6. Rally, net ball.

9-6.  And to conclude the match, Anna once more took to her strengths and Nadia couldn’t adjust as Anna take revenge over last years loss to the same solid player and on the same court.

Way to persevere Anna!

Court 2 didn’t shine as favorably on the Cowgirls as court 1.  Evelyn, well in hand to take the first set at 5-2, had to exit the courts due to a bout with sickness.  Thinking she could play through she fought but it was too much for the freshman.  Walk off due to illness.  She will rest and return to take court 2 the next time we play them.

Rachael too had a hard time last season on court 3 after moving up to play a bigger hitter.  Just losing in the 3^rd set tiebreaker one year ago, she now had something to prove.  And as easy as it sounds, she simply needed to play her game.  Playing safely during the first, Rachael began to take flight late in the first set, carving her serves in and pushing her opponent deeper and wider still.  6-2 after the first.  In the second, Rachael continued her confident hitting and took the second 6-0.  Well played Anna.

Favor shined down on the rest of the Cowgirls this evening.

Church had to work through a bit of a battle in the first set until she found her groove 6-3, 6-1.  Though she hit well, her opponent’s myriad of different shots were not the most consistent in their placement nor their place and depth.  Adjusting nicely towards the end of the first, Church had little difficulty fending her off in the second.

Christman had to battle her own self as much as her opponent.  Caroline began with a strong game, but if you have played the beautiful game of tennis previously, it is so much easier to hit a strong ball off of a strong ball.  Though consistent and deep, Caroline’s opponent did not hit with much pace forcing Ms. Christman to generate her own.  This is hard for a relative newcomer to the top 6.  Though the points were longer, Caroline took it down a notch in power and was able to hit past her opponent to secure the win.

Bella Johnson’s game was more in tune to the consistency of her opponent.  Finding her foothold almost immediately on Court 6, Bella made quick work of the Lady Hornet 0 and 0.

The Cowgirls won the match in Singles, but giving this is the first time playing the Lady Hornets this season, a Full lineup of doubles ensued.

Not having Evelyn was a slight worry to Coach on Court 1.  Coach opted to partner Anna with Christman.  Dee and Church for court 2 with Wesney and Perko on court 3.  WG opted for a 1/4 court 1, 2/3 court 2, and 5/6 on 3.

Wesney and Perko made short work of the Lady Hornets.  Able to out hit and out consistency their opponents, they finished 8-0 on Court 3.

Dee and Church also made quick work of their opponents.  Confident from their respective wins in singles, attention was given to the #3 seed.  Though not by much, WG #2 was more agile and a better hitter than her teammate.  Simply put, few shots made it to Ms. Josslyn.  8-2 the final score.

Now there is one thing to single out a player in doubles, but when partnered with a beautiful hitter such as Nadia, things could ger hairy quickly.

So a 1 and 5 faced off against a 1-4.  Cowgirls drew first blood with a break to take it to 3-1.  The strategy, not hit it to Nadia.  She was the stronger of the two players.  Focusing on WG #4, cross court shots straightened out and went down the line or near the net player.  Nadia was forced to pick up the remnants of the play.  The ones she hit were fast and big.  Though sometimes out, she could strike the ball well.  But it was not enough for the Lady Hornets.  Anna And Christman take the match 8-2

Cowgirls split this week in conference play.

Anna McGinnis (SW) over Nadia Gherge (WG) - 5-7, 6-1, 10-6

Josslyn Hizer (WG) over Evelyn McKnight (SW) - 2-5, WALKOFF

Rachel Dee (SW) over Diodore’ Lopez (WG) - 6-2, 6-0

Caroline Church (SW) over Lacey Houlden (WG) - 6-3, 6-1

Caroline Christman (SW) over Tina Rcom-Nie (WG) - 6-1, 6-0

Bella Johnson (SW) over Natalie Espitia (WG) - 6-0, 6-0

McGinnis/Christman (SW) over Gherge/Lopez (WG) - 8-2

Dee/Church (SW) over Hizer/Houlden (WG) - 8-2

Wesney/Perko (SW) over Rcom-Nie/Espitia (WG) - 8-0

Cowgirls improve to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Weather permitting, they travel to Asheboro on Thursday.