RC Girls Edge PM, 5-4

Wildcats Start 2-0, Blues Bounce Back

In a contest that came down to the final match, the Rockbridge County High School girls tennis team opened its season with a thrilling 5-4 home win over local rival Parry McCluer on Tuesday of last week at the Lexington Golf & Country Club courts.

It was the Wildcats’ first win under new head coach Mark Sholes, and the Wildcats improved to 2-0 with a 7-2 home win over Staunton on Thursday. Last year, PM earned two 5-4 wins over RC, and Staunton beat the Wildcats twice. The Fighting Blues bounced back from last Tuesday’s loss with a 6-3 road win over Mountain View on Friday.

The opener came down to the match at No. 5 singles, with RC senior Addie Wright coming back from a 6-3 deficit to defeat PM freshman Keely Mahaffey 9-7, just before sunset.

Second-year PM head coach Alyssa Sewell praised Mahaffey’s performance, despite the loss. “That was very awesome for her first high school match,” said Sewell. “To go to 9-7 was absolutely incredible.”

Sholes, 64, who retired to Rockbridge County three years ago after working for the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, replaces Andrew Bellairs, who stepped down after coaching the RC girls for two years to take a job teaching eighth grade math in Greenville, S.C.

RC and PM are scheduled to meet again at the Southern Virginia University courts, PM’s home courts Thursday, May 2, at 5 p.m.

The Wildcats already look improved after going 3-12 overall last year and 1-7 in the Valley District, while PM is coming off a 12-2 season. From last year, the Wildcats graduated their top two players, Sophia Fafatas and Sara Topasna, while PM graduated No. 2 player Sadie Mays and will miss junior Olive King, who played at No. 3 singles last year but will have to sit out this season due to a shoulder injury at the end of her all-state swimming season this winter.

RC’s co-captains are Lotts and Remington, while PM hadn’t named captains yet last week. The Wildcats have nine returning players, while the Blues have five returnees.

RC was scheduled to start Valley District action at home against Broadway on Monday and will continue district play at home against Harrisonburg on Tuesday, April 2. The Blues will start Pioneer District action next Wednesday, March 27, when they play at Narrows at 4:30 p.m.. Their first home match is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, at 5 p.m., against Bath County at the Southern Virginia University courts.

RC 5, PM 4

SINGLES – Addisen Roberts (PM) d. Corinna Allen (RC) 9-7; Macy Shafer (PM) d. Julia Newhall (RC) 8-3; Sydney Remington (RC) d. Peira Conner (PM) 8-3; McKenna Hickman (PM) d. Katherine Lotts (RC) 8-4; Addie Wright (RC) d. Keely Mahaffey (PM) 9-7; Campbell Bond (RC) d. Elizabeth Truslow (PM) 8-1.

DOUBLES – Roberts and Shafer (PM) d. Allen and Newhall (RC) 8-2; Remington and Lotts (RC) d. Conner and Mahaffey (PM) 8-3; Wright and Bond (RC) d. Hickman and Peyton Chittum (PM) 8-4.

RC 7, Staunton 2

SINGLES – Mia Hansen (S) d. Allen (RC) 9-8 (7-5 tiebreak), Felicity Jones (S) d. Newhall (RC) 8-0; Remington (RC) d. Hayden Terry (S) 9-7; Lotts (RC) d. Harper Leavitt (S) 8-1; Wright (RC) d. Emily Perkins (S) 8-0; Bond (RC) d. Becca Austin (S) 8-4.

DOUBLES – Allen and Newhall (RC) d. Hansen and Jones (S) 8-3; Remington and Lotts (RC) d. Terry and Levitt (S) 8-6; Wright and Bond (RC) d. Perkins and Austin (S) 8-6.

PM 6, MV 3

SINGLES – Roberts (PM) d. Ava Pittington (MV); Shafer (PM) d. Lily Beedle (MV) 8-4; Briana Flick (MV) d. Conner (PM) 8-5; Hickman (PM) d. Rayn Lawrence (MV) 9-7; Mahaffey (PM) d. Sydney Hulvey (MV) 9-7; Claire Anderson (MV) d. Truslow (PM) 8-4.

DOUBLES – Pittington and Beedle (MV) d. Roberts and Shafer (PM) 8-1; Conner and Mahaffey (PM) d. Flick and Lawrence (P) 9-7; Hickman and Marley Convers (PM) d. Hulver and Anderson (MV) 6-4.