Conner, Mahaffey, Shafer Earn Wins For Blues
The Parry McCluer High School girls tennis team opened the season with a 6-3 home loss to Stonewall Jackson last Wednesday at the Southern Virginia University courts in Buena Vista.
The afternoon started with three doubles contests, with the Generals winning at No. 1 and No. 3. PM senior Peira Conner and sophomore Keely Mahaffey teamed up at No. 2 doubles to earn an 8-1 win over SJ’s Rayn Lawrence and Evie Hinkle.
“I’m really excited about Keely and Peira,” said PM head coach Alyssa Sewell. “They had a very strong match and were putting into play everything that we practice.”
In singles, senior Macy Shafer, who moved up to the top spot after playing at No. 2 last year, battled to an 8-6 win over Lily Beedle. Sewell said Shafer “played beautifully, running her opponent back and forth and doing an excellent job mentally as well.”
Also winning in singles for the Blues was Mahaffey, claiming an 8-1 win over Lawrence at No. 3.
Sewell, in her third year of coaching the Blues, said her team had “a great first match and fought hard.”
The Blues had two other matches scheduled last week, but both were postponed. They were slated to play host to Auburn on Monday of last week and were scheduled to take on local rival Rockbridge County at the Lexington Country Club courts on Friday. The Auburn match was postponed following rain the previous day, with a makeup date to be determined. With the Blues getting ready for spring break this week, the match against RC was rescheduled for Wednesday, May 7, at 4:30 p.m. RC was scheduled to start its season on Monday at Broadway.
PM graduated three seniors from last year’s team, which went 9-5 overall and 4-2 in the Pioneer District, ending its season with a 5-2 loss to Grayson County in the Region 1C quarterfinals. The district tournament was canceled due to rain last year, but the Blues placed second to Bath County after splitting a pair of regular-season matches with the Chargers before falling to Bath in the first-place match.
The Blues graduated their top player last year, Addisen Roberts, after she concluded her career with a loss in the Region 1C singles and doubles tournaments. Roberts lost in the Region 1C singles championship match and also teamed up with Shafer in the Region 1C doubles tournament, falling in the first round. PM also graduated McKenna Hickman, their No. 4 singles player last year, and Marley Convers, who played in several singles matches.
This year, the Blues have nine players, led by a strong core of five returning players from last year’s squad. The Blues have two returning seniors, Shafer and Conner, who are joined in the senior class by Olive King and Valentine De Sousa E. Cantero. King, an all-state swimmer who has committed to swimming for SVU next year, played at No. 3 singles two years ago before sitting out last year due to a shoulder injury from swimming.
Conner is PM’s No. 2 singles player, and King did not play singles last week, but she joined Shafer on the No. 1 doubles team. Cantero is new to the team.
The Blues also return junior Peyton Chittum, currently at the No. 5 singles spot; and a pair of sophomores, Mahaffey and Elizabeth Truslow, starting at No. 4 singles. Out for the first time are sophomores Zana Halilovic and Phoebe Wood, who is also a thrower for the track and field team.
With the help of assistant coach John Roberts, Sewell said she is “excited for what’s to come” for the Blues.
The Blues will return to action when they play at Altavista on Monday at 5 p.m., and they’ll have a rematch with Stonewall Jackson in Quicksburg on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Their first Pioneer District match will be next Thursday, April 3, at 4:30 p.m. at Narrows, and they’ll visit Auburn the following Monday, April 7, at 5 p.m. PM’s next home match is scheduled for Thursday, April 10, at 5 p.m. against RC, at the SVU courts.
SJ 6, PM 3
SINGLES – Macy Shafer (PM) d. Lily Beedle (SJ) 8-6; Briona Flick (SJ) d. Peira Conner (PM) 8-5; Keely Mahaffey (PM) d. Rayn Lawrence (SJ) 8-1; Evie Hinkle (SJ) d. Elizabeth Truslow (PM) 8-0; Andora Franklin (SJ) d. Peyton Chittum (PM) 8-1; Lillian Shirkey (SJ) d. Phoebe Wood (PM) 8-3.
DOUBLES – Beedle and Flick (SJ) d. Shafer and Olive King (PM) 8-3; Conner and Mahaffey (PM) d. Lawrence and Hinkle (SJ) 8-1; Franklin and Shirley (SJ) d. Truslow and Chittum (PM) 8-3.
FIGHTING BLUE senior Macy Shafer focuses on a forehand shot. (Ronnie Coffey photo)
