Rocky Mount pays back Wilson Fike in girls tennis
October 3, 2009 By Charles Alston of Rocky Mount High School
WILSON - Rocky Mount's girls tennis team didn't get mad at its huge Big East Conference match at Wilson Fike Thursday afternoon.
It got even - in more ways than one!
The Gryphons pulled off their biggest win of the year in knocking off the conference leading Golden Demons in impressive style, 6-3.
Rocky Mount, now 13-4 and tied with Fike for first in the conference at 7-1, won five of its six singles matches to grab the victory early. It also avenged its tough 7-2 loss at home to Fike earlier in the season.
Rocky Mount head coach Barry Nethercutt felt that his squad squandered its chances to win their earlier meeting with Fike. But the RMHS team reached deep Thursday afternoon and played harder that it had all season.
"What a difference a day and a couple of seniors make," said a jubillant Nethercutt. "When we got over to Fike, Kate (Gray) and Addie (Keeter) gave a heart-to-heart talk to the team and when they finished, I could see in the girls' faces they finally believed. And it showed in the way they went out and played singles, with all the toughness any coach could ask for.
Lindsay Thomas, Kate Gray, Caroline Nelson, Margaret Arroyo and Juila Amend all earned wins in their singles matches. Addie Keeter was the only Gryphon - 6-1, 6-3 to Meredith Pruden.
"Lindsay was down 5-2 in her second set but came back," Nethercutt said. "Kate played brilliant in beating Mallory Short 0 and 0. Margaret and Julia ran harder than they have run in three years for balls. Caroline played the longest and most grinding of all matches and pulled out the breaker in the third set.
"Even in Addie's loss, she kept battling and never got discouraged," he added. "It's just a tough match up for her. After winning in singles, I think the girls were so excited there was a natural let down in doubles. But I can overlook that after the effort they gave in singles. Now that they understand the effort it takes to beat top four calliber teams, I hope they will remember Kate and Addie's talk before each match, and who know's how far they can go."
The team's sole win in doubles came when Arroyo teamed up with Elizabeth Thompson (No. 3 doubles) to beat the duo of Sarah Flinn and Anna Claire Summerlin 9-8 in a tie breaker (7-2).
ROCKY MOUNT 6, WILSON FIKE 3
Singles
1. Lindsay Thomas (RM) def. Mary Katherine Prince 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)
2. Kate Gray (RM) def. Mallory Short 6-0, 6-0
3. Meredith Pruden (WF) def. Addie Keeter 6-1, 6-3
4. Caroline Nelson (RM) def. Conner Allegood 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-3)
5. Margaret Arroyo (RM) def. Sarah Flinn 6-1, 6-1
6. Julia Amend (RM) def. Emily Rhyne 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
1. Prince/Allegood (WF) def. Thomas/Gray 8-6
2. Pruden/Short (WF) def. Keeter/Nelson 8-1
3. Arroyo/Elizabeth Thompson (RM) def. Flinn/Anna Claire Summerlin 9-8 (7-2) |
NATIONAL
NORTH CAROLINA
