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The Rockbridge County High School boys tennis team concluded the team portion of its season with a 6-0 road loss in the regionals to Liberty Christian Academy on Monday of last week in Lynchburg.
With the loss, the sixth-seeded Wildcats finished with an overall team record of 10-7, going 5-5 in the Valley District. Third-seeded LCA improved to 12-1 in the district.
The teams only played their six singles matches and didn’t play doubles since the Bulldogs only needed five wins to clinch the team win.
Two of the matches went to 10-point tiebreaks, with LCA winning both. At No. 3 singles, LCA’s Hawkins Glenn beat RC junior Gardner Clement 7-5 (7-5 tiebreak), 7-6 (7-4 tiebreak), 10-6 tiebreak. At No. 6, LCA’s Matthew Muller overcame RC sophomore Barrett Kosmas 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 tiebreak. Also playing a competitive match for RC was junior Nic Vargas at No. 1 singles, falling 7-5, 6-1 to Landon Bivens.
With first-year RC head coach Scott Youngdahl attending his daughter Sophie’s graduation from Grinnell College in Iowa, RC assistant coach Brian Barney guided the Wildcats. “Liberty Christian was strong. We played well,” said Barney. “It was a good match, and it was great to make it to regionals this year.”
As a team, the Wildcats improved notably from last year, when they went 3-11 overall and 2-6 in the district, not advancing to the regional tournament.
Vargas, the Valley District singles runner-up this year, was scheduled to compete in the Region 3C singles tournament yesterday at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville. Vargas was slated to team up with junior Nic Faulds in the Region 3C doubles tournament yesterday, also at WM. Winning would move them on to regional tournament action today, Wednesday, at WM. For updates, visit www. thenews-gazette.com, and see next week’s newspaper for the full story on the regional singles and doubles tournaments.
LCA 6, RC 0
SINGLES – Landon Bivens (LCA) d. Nic Vargas (RC) 7-5, 6-1; William Mowry (LCA) d. Nic Faulds (RC) 6-1, 6-0; Hawkins Glenn (LCA) d. Gardner Clement (RC) 7-6 (7-5 tiebreak), 7-6 (7-4 tiebreak), 10-6 tiebreak; Owen Seipp (LCA) d. Jaxon Johnson (RC) 6-1, 6-0; Lawson Fritz (LCA) d. Harrison Tenner (RC) 6-4, 6-3; Matthew Muller (LCA) d. Barrett Kosmas (RC) 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 tiebreak.
