.jpg)
The team portion of an impressive season came to a close for the Parry McCluer High School girls tennis team with a 5-4 home loss to Giles in the Region 1C quarterfinals on Monday of last week in Buena Vista.
Playing at the Southern Virginia University courts, the Fighting Blues, who finished with an overall record of 12-2, lost two of three doubles matches to Giles (6-13), so they faced an uphill battle in singles. The teams split the singles matches, and the Spartans edged PM for the win.
Junior Addisen Roberts and senior Sadie Mays teamed up to win 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles, but Giles easily won at No. 2 and 3 doubles.
After the contest, PM head coach Alyssa Sewell said it was an “incredible match and wonderful season with these ladies.”
“It’s crucial to get up in doubles, but we weren’t able to make it happen today,” added Sewell.
The first-year coach was pleased by her singles winners: Roberts at No. 1, sophomore Macy Shafer at No. 4 and sophomore Peira Conner at No. 5. Sewell said PM sophomore Olive King “had the toughest fight” against Spartan Autumn Bowles at No. 3 singles, but Bowles battled to win 6-4, 4-6, 10-5 in a third-set tiebreaker.
Giles went on to lose 5-1 in the Region 1C semifinals at Fort Chiswell on Tuesday of last week, and Fort Chiswell would fall 5-0 at George Wythe in the regional finals on Thursday.
The Blues improved notably from last year, when they went 6-3, ending the 2022 season with a 5-0 loss to Galax in the Region 1C quarterfinals. Although they didn’t repeat as Pioneer District champions, falling 5-4 to Bath County in the district finals on May 17 at SVU, the Blues went 4-0 in the district during their regular season, beating both Narrows and Bath twice. PM also had an undefeated regular season, going 12-0, before the tournament losses.
Roberts was scheduled to compete in the Region 1C singles tournament on Monday at Auburn, and she and Mays were slated to play in the Region 1C doubles tournament at the same location yesterday.
For the results, visit www.thenews-gazette.com, and see next week’s newspaper for the full story.
Giles 5, PM 4
SINGLES – Addisen Roberts (PM) d. Rylie Johnson (G) 7-5, 6-1; Elyn Bartley (G) d. Sadie Mays (PM) 6-2, 6-1; Autumn Bowles (G) d. Olive King (PM) 6-4, 4-6, 10-5; Macy Shafer (PM) d. Jess Johnson (G) 6-3, 6-1; Peira Conner (PM) d. Sunnie Davis (G) 6-4, 6-2; Andrea Stowers (G) d. Marley Convers (PM) 6-0, 6-0.
DOUBLES – Roberts and Mays (PM) d. Johnson and Bartley (G) 6-2, 6-2; Bowles and Johnson (G) d. King and Shafer (PM) 6-3, 6-2; Davis and Sowers (G) d. Conner and Peyton Chittum (PM) 6-1, 6-0.
