Before the season began, tennis coach Dan Vales said he wanted his Lady Tigers to beat everyone in southwest Missouri who appeared on the schedule. After a Monday win over Bolivar, that’s what they’ve done.
The Lady Tigers avenged an earlier 5-4 loss to Bolivar, beating the Liberators 7-2 on the road Monday night.
“The girls are playing with more confidence, and I think we found the doubles teams that fit pretty well, especially with one and two,” said Vales. “They really just had a great night … and we came out with the level of intensity we need to beat a team of this quality. It was a big win for us.”
Mia Stan and Izzy Wells won their #5 and #6 singles matches – both slots that had been losses during a previous matchup. Republic had lost the #1 doubles match last time, as well, but Elsie Crawford and Jasmine Howard teamed up to win that one this time around.
With the win over Bolivar, Republic has now defeated every team it has played this season. The Lady Tigers split two meetings with Springfield Central and Bolivar, and defeated everyone else. Their current record is 13-2. They’ve won eight straight.
Republic plays at home Tuesday with a chance to capture the outright Central Ozark Conference championship. The Lady Tigers are currently a game ahead of Nixa in the standings, and can finish an undefeated league slate with a win over Ozark. Play starts at 4:30.
Singles
1. Elsie Crawford def. McKinley Hedges 8-6
2. Jasmine Howard def. Josie Douglas 8-1
3. Sophia Vestal def. Abby McCord 8-3
4. Morgan Lewis def. Emma Geurin 8-0
5. Mia Stan def. Brynley Waters 8-5
6. Izzy Wells def. Sarah Bowes 9-7
Doubles
1. Crawford/Howard def. Hedges/Waters 8-4
2. McCord/Lewis def. Douglas/Vestal 8-4
3. Geurin/Reagan Hunt def. Stan/Ashlyn Leonard 8-1