The Lady Tigers’ team tennis season came to a close Saturday with a state sectional loss to Springfield Central. Central won all three doubles matches to open the day – including a come-from-behind win in the #3 doubles match – to set the tone. The Bulldogs closed it out with two early wins in singles play for a 5-0 win.
(Photo gallery below.)
Despite the loss, coach Dan Vales said he is proud of what his team accomplished after losing several key contributors from last fall.
“It really was a big accomplishment for this team. There was a lot of unknowns going into the year, when we lost our #1, #2, and #6 players from the lineup,” Vales said. “I think they answered the bell on it really had a great season. So we’re really proud of them. And getting to team sectionals is always tough. We hadn’t done that since 2012.”
The match marked the final appearance for senior Carly McAtee, who has been a fixture in the lineup and won several big matches this year, including the district clincher over Webb City.
Two other seniors, Katie Stiles and Hannah Morgan, will compete at the individual state tournament in the doubles bracket. They’ll play Friday morning at Cooper Tennis Complex.
