The Cumberland County High School tennis team (1-3) didn’t win any of its nine matches against White County last Thursday at home.
But what the 0-9 score didn’t reveal was many of the pro set matches (first player to win eight games with a two game advantage) were closely contested.
“All the matches were really, really close,” said second-year coach David Walker. “The players are full of heart and fight. They have a great attitude. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Freshman Molly Neal is brimming with potential at No. 1 singles and doubles. After she and partner Stephanie Turner dropped an 8-3 match to Nia Powers and Kate Frasier in No. 1 doubles, Neal took on Powers in singles.
Taking a 5-2 lead, Neal, playing singles and doubles the third time in three days, dropped six of the next seven games and lost 8-6 in back-and-forth battle.
“That’s one of the best high school matches I’ve seen,” Walker said. “If Molly had fresher legs, the match might have gone another way. She gets everything back and is like a backboard.
“When she gets a little power, there won’t be anyone in the region she can’t compete with.”
In doubles, Walker noted, Neal and Turner, who lost her singles match to Marian Swindell, 8-3, make a good team. “They mesh really well,” he said.
At No. 3 singles, Frasier defeated CCHS senior Anna Davidson, 8-5.
“It was a really close match,” Walker said. “Anna’s speed and footwork have gotten better.”
At No. 4 singles, Cheyenne Emery fell to Lily Colwell, 8-2. Lorelei Bouldin topped Cumberland County’s Audrey Wellman 8-0 at No. 5 singles, and Catherine Gottleid prevailed 8-3 over CCHS’ standout Catherine Campbell.
Swindell and Colwell defeated Davidson and Emery 8-2 at No. 2 doubles, while CCHS’ Sabrina Brummet and Campbell battled hard before losing 5-8 to the duo of Bouldin and Brianna Stone at No. 3 doubles.
“They held their own against a more experienced team,” Walker said about Brummet and Campbell. “Sabrina is so much better from the beginning of the year.”
On the boys’ side, senior Taz Hopkins hung tough before losing 0-8 to Gabriel Wiles at No. 1 singles.
“His play has really improved. He’s developed a really good backhand. Sophomore Jerik Oaks, who lost 8-0 to Maxwell Simmons at No. 2 singles, is another player who is learning on the court,” Walker said. “He has the potential to be pretty good. He’s smart and very coachable.”
At No. 1 doubles, Noah Gateley and Jackson Bouldin topped Hopkins and Oaks, 8-0.
There were not enough players to compete in a full boys’ match.
Earlier in the week, CCHS girls won their first match of the season, topping DeKalb County, 6-3. Winners included Neal at No. 1 singles.
The doubles team of Wellman and Paysley Johnson was also victorious.
“That was the first win ever for Audrey and the first as a team,” Walker said.