At first glance, it looks like Seymour dominated Brownstown Central in a 5-0 win on the Owls’ courts Monday afternoon.
However, the match was much closer than the final score might indicate.
All three singles matches lasted at least two hours, and No. 3 singles between Seymour’s Kirby Hill and Brownstown’s Riley Roberts went 2 1/2 hours with Hill winning 2-6, 6-0, 6-4.
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It was Roberts’ sixth three-set match of the season. Roberts held a 4-3 lead in the third set before Hill rallied to win.
Braves Coach Erik Stangland liked the way his team battled.
“It was a nice, close match,” Stangland said. “I thought our girls finally came out and played competition, and played pretty well. We just needed a few more points here and there to make a difference.
“Too many points were lost at the net. When we have put-away shots and we don’t finish those shots we need to put them away. That’s where we’re really struggling right now. We were on the negative side of 20 in the net and we had five winners at one point. We can’t win like that.”
Seymour coach Jan Fenton echoed Stangland.
“There were a lot of good shots, points and close rallies. It was good competition,” Fenton said.
Seymour’s No. 1 doubles team of Mallory Moore and Kristina Griffith defeated Rachel Adkins and Carly Brown 6-4, 6-4, and the No. 2 doubles duo of Avery Ragon and Madalyn Baurle were 6-0, 6-0 winners over Abbie Reynolds and Hannah Hackman
“Doubles played strong,” Fenton said, “Two doubles (did a good job) and one doubles had some really great points back-and-forth, and they played strong.”
No. 1 singles went to Sandra Cerino 6-4, 6-3 over Olivia Hackman, and Peyton Levine topped Maggie Hogan 6-3, 7-5 at No. 2.
“Maggie played a heck of a match against a girl that she played really well last year,” Stangland said. “We knew that and Maggie comes in a plays really well this year for us. That was a nice match to watch.
Olivia played really well. One doubles just couldn’t get it turned on in that first set to get that fire and win but it was a close match. Four spots were close. It was hard to lose that last three-setter. Hopefully we’ll see them in the sectional and be ready for them.”
The Owls are 2-0 against sectional opponents as they blanked Scottsburg 5-0 earlier. Seymour (6-4) will travel to Brown County today.
“I think for singles and doubles both, keeping our focus is important,” Fenton said. “Making sure we’re doing what we’ve been practicing, moving our feet and staying in the points. It was a great night for tennis and there was a lot of good playing on both teams.”
The Braves (5-3) will face Mid-Southern and sectional opponent Scottsburg on the Warriors’ courts today.
