Fike's Prince takes fourth 3-A regional crown; Rocky Mount duo wins doubles title
October 26, 2009 Rocky Mount High School
By Paul Durham
Wilson Times
WILSON - Forgive Fike senior Mary-Katherine Prince if she doesn't hope to play Northern Nash's Randi Price in the N.C. High School Athletic Association girls tennis 3-A state tournament this weekend in Burlington.
After escaping the plucky Price in the Big East Conference tournament singles final last weekend, Prince had to endure another persistent effort by the Knights freshman Saturday in the 3-A East Regional final at Barton College Tennis Complex.
But Prince, after winning the first set 6-2, extended her reign as regional queens by rallying from a three-game deficit in the second set to win the tiebreaker 9-7 and the set 7-6.
Prince, who with her 100th Fike win ran her singles record to 23-4 this season, was relieved to pick up the victory.
"I think that as I've gotten older, my schedule's gotten busier, too," she said. "Just to play tournaments, it's tougher, and this was the toughest finals I've had so far. But you appreciate it more. It's just really nice."
In the doubles final, Fike juniors Mallory Short-Meredith Pruden were denied a second regional title by Rocky Mount's Lindsay Thomas-Kate Gray 6-2, 6-3 in what was nearly a repeat of last week's Big East final.
The Gryphons duo is the only team to have beaten Short-Pruden, who tumbled to 22-2 with an uncharacteristic display of unforced errors.
"It's mental," Pruden said
"It's all mental," Short added.
Pruden continued: "When we were losing, we were beating ourselves. They were playing well but ... I don't know."
Despite Saturday's outcome, Short-Pruden will return to the state tournament, along with Rocky Mount's Addie Keeter-Caroline Nelson and Eastern Wayne's Danielle Daniel-Warner Underwood.
"We're not going to beat ourselves too much because to go to states two years in a row is pretty good," Pruden said.
Prince will make her fourth trip after rallying from a 3-0 deficit in the second set. Prince found her freshman opponent made fewer mistakes than during her three previous losses to Prince.
"She sort of would get warmed up and our rallies would last a little longer and I would end up making a mistake," Prince said. "And that's something I need to work on."
Price said she didn't worry about playing the three-time defending regional champion.
"I put it in the back of my mind. I really don't care who I play, I just try to play my best," she said.
Prince started the comeback by breaking Price's serve to pull within 3-2. The players traded games until Price was serving for the set with a 5-4 lead and Prince broke her again and then took a 6-5 lead.
Shouting, "Come on!" to herself before the 12th game, Prince couldn't finish off Price and the set went to a tiebreaker.
Prince survived set point at 6-5 in the tiebreaker until she finally had one herself at 8-7. Unlike last week when she let three straight match points escape her, Prince finished the job when Price couldn't clear the net on a return shot.
Prince offered Price a handshake and then a pat on the back before exiting the court.
"It feels really good," Prince said. "All the glory's to God. I could have never done this by myself. I've just been really, really blessed."
3-A East Regional
Saturday
At Barton College Tennis Complex
SINGLES
Semifinals
Mary-Katherine Prince (Fike) def. Summer Phillips (South Brunswick) 6-3, 6-1
Randi Price (Northern Nash) def. Beth Batchelor (Washington) 6-0, 6-3
Championship
Prince def. Price 6-2, 7-6(7)
Consolation
Batchelor def. Phillips 0-6, 6-2, 6-2
DOUBLES
Semifinals
Lindsay Thomas-Kate Gray (Rocky Mount) def. Danielle Daniel-Warner Underwood (Eastern Wayne) 6-0, 6-1
Mallory Short-Meredith Pruden (F) def. Addie Keeter-Caroline Nelson (F) 6-2, 6-3
Championship
Thomas-Gray def. Short-Pruden 6-2, 6-3
Consolation
Keeter-Nelson def. Daniel-Underwood 6-2, 6-4 |
NATIONAL
NORTH CAROLINA
