LAPEL — Lapel High School girls tennis moved to 17-3 on the season after a busy weekend during which the Bulldogs played host to their own invitational Saturday, May 12.
Lapel won its opening match against Blackford 5-0 but lost the final to Eastern by a score of 3-2.
Prior to the invitational, Lapel downed Greenfield-Central 6-1 on Friday, May 11.
In the Greenfield-Central match, Lapel No. 1 singles player Maddie Shannon defeated Miriam Ellisal 6-1,6-0. G-C’s No. 2 singles player Avery Spencer defeated Lauren Benagh 6-3,6-4. Lapel’s No. 3 singles player Mackenzie Richards defeated Grace Hall 6-4, 7-5, and No. 4 Bulldog Madison Jarrett won 6-3, 6-1.
In doubles play, Lapel’s No. 1 doubles duo Brie Baxter and Tonya Riffey defeated Haidyn Goodwin and Kaleigh Stephenson 6-2, 6-0. No. 2 doubles team of Alyssa Whaley and Emily Eppert defeated G-C’s Ally Proper and Erin Wright 6-2, 6-7(9), 6-1, and No. 3 doubles players Mallory Jessup and Makena Mason defeated Cougars Corina Dixon and Grace Silcox 6-2, 6,0.
Earlier in the week the Bulldogs beat Tri and Hamilton Heights by scores of 4-1.
Against Tri on Wednesday, May 9, Shannon defeated Alyssa Nuzzi 6-0, 6-0. Bailey Baxter defeated Alyssa Bennett 6-0, 6-1, while Tri’s No. 3 singles player Molly West prevailed over Richards 6-0, 6-2.
In doubles play, Riffey and Brie Baxter defeated Jesse VanDevier and Allison Kingery 6-0, 6-1, while Zoe Freer and Julia Beeler defeated Makenna Hawk and Kiela Cash 6-4, 6-3.
Against Hamilton Heights on Tuesday, May 8, Shannon defeated Anna Carl 6-1, 6-0. No. 2 singles player Lauren Benagh beat Kennedy Hunter 6-3, 6-0, and No. 3 singles player Bailey Baxter defeated her opponent 6-2, 6-0.
In doubles action, top Bulldogs Brie Baxter and Riffey downed Addie Gordon and Emma Knowles 6-0, 6-4, while at No. 2, Kinsey Dimmock and Emily Peterson of Hamilton Heights defeated Whaley and Eppert 6-2, 7-6 (5).
In Sectional 1 action at Anderson, Lapel is set to play at 5 p.m. today, Thursday, May 17, facing the winner of the Wednesday, May 16, Anderson-Elwood matchup (after press time). If Lapel wins, it advances to the Friday, May 18, final to face Anderson Preparatory or Frankton (which were scheduled to play Wednesday) or Alexandria Monroe (which was scheduled to play the winner of the Anderson Prep-Frankton game on Thursday).
PENDLETON HEIGHTS
PENDLETON — Pendleton Heights girls tennis faced New Palestine Friday, May 11, but the Hoosier Heritage Conference match-up didn’t end the way the Arabians hoped with a 5-0 loss.
New Palestine sophomore Megan Long made few mistakes on her way to a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Pendleton Heights senior Bailey Davis at No. 1 singles.
Ivey Simmons downed Arabian Gracie Criswell 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles in her last regular-season match for the Dragons.
New Palestine junior Caylie Almond played a steady match to beat Pendleton Heights junior Lauren Marsh 6-0, 6-1.
The Dragons’ No. 1 doubles pairing of Josee King and Claire Cherry defeated Pendleton Heights seniors Susie Kramer and Claire Goodwin 6-2, 6-4.
NP’s No. 2 doubles team of Sheridan Schrowe and Ashley Truman extended its record to 15-4 for the season, beating Arabians seniors Taralynn Brown and Alexis Young 6-3, 6-2.
Earlier in the week, it was another hard-fought match for the Arabians, but it resulted in a 4-1 loss to Greenfield-Central on Wednesday, May 9.
All the singles players — Bailey Davis, Gracie Criswell and Lauren Marsh — competed and hit shot for shot but just came up short.
Although it is a relatively short season, they’ve played a lot of matches in a short amount of time and the toll is showing, coach Royce Hammel said.
In doubles, Brown and Alexis Young at No. 2 almost pulled out a win, losing in three sets.
The doubles team of Kramer and Goodwin did brought home the lone win, also in three sets.
Pendleton Heights plays in Sectional 38 at Mt. Vernon. The Arabians were set to play at 5 p.m. today, Thursday, May 17, facing the winner of the Greenfield-Central vs. New Palestine game, which was scheduled for Wednesday, May 16 (after press time). If the Arabians win, they advance to play in the finals Friday, May 18, facing the winner of Thursday’s Mt. Vernon-Eastern Hancock matchup.
