The Seymour tennis team started out its Hoosier Hills Conference tournament with a comfortable 5-0 win against Columbus East on Monday at home.

Four of the five positions won in straight sets while Seymour’s one doubles team went to a third-set tiebreaker but still pulled out the win.

Due to an injury to Ashley Clemente, freshman Ava Sunbury was slotted alongside Caroline Thompson at one doubles. After dropping the first set 4-6, the duo bounced back to win the second set 6-2.

The coaches decided on a tiebreaker to 10 in the third set, and Seymour won it 10-8 to secure the fifth and final point for the team.

“Doubles teams started out a little slow, but once they found their game, they really went with it,” head coach Sharon Wood said. “We knew that Ava’s strength of her game was her groundstrokes. We knew that she could just pound it cross court. We weren’t sure how her mental game would be as a freshman, and we weren’t sure how the combo would work together — her and Caroline have never played together. We had to slide her in there, and she worked her tail off. It was a great combo. We liked the combo.”

The two doubles team of Jessica Hougland and Addison Hunsley won 6-2, 6-0.

At singles, Brooke Schafstall won 6-0, 6-0 at one singles, Madalyn Baurle won 6-1, 6-1 at two singles and Elise Hartung won 6-0, 6-2 at three singles.

“Not only was it a good win because we want to win in conference, but everybody played well,” Wood said. “Mr. (Bob) Wood said we have some singles players who are playing ‘brilliant,’ and those are the types of things I liked to hear when I’m over watching the doubles teams. Our singles was dominating tonight, and they did the things they wanted to do.”

For Hartung, she started to catch fire with her serving game toward the end of her match.

“I served pretty well toward the end,” she said. “I had a few aces on her that she couldn’t really return.”

It was hot on Monday, but it was also pretty windy. Hartung discussed her strategy when hitting into and against the wind.

“I try to take a little bit off my swing so it doesn’t fly out, and I was trying to make her lob it so that if she did, it would fly over me and out of the court,” she said.

Last year, Hartung played two doubles all season. This year, she’s been at singles and has made the most of her time in that spot so far.

“It’s been different, but I’ve really enjoyed it,” she said. “It’s just a different game than playing doubles.”

Seymour is now 13-2 this season and has only suffered losses to top-ranked Columbus North and Franklin Community.

“I’ve been really impressed with everything,” Hartung said. “I wasn’t sure how this season was gonna go, but everyone is doing really well.”

With Monday’s win, the Owls now advance to Wednesday to take on Floyd Central at home. The Highlanders defeated Jeffersonville on Monday.

Last year, Seymour won the HHC by defeating Floyd 3-2 in the championship. This year, the two teams meet in the semifinals.

“Floyd is bigger, better and stronger than they were last year, so we’re gonna have our work cut out for us,” Wood said. “Tonight set us up to go out there and play a good match. We’re playing with a lot of confidence. We have our work cut out for us, but I don’t think anyone can take us lightly because on any given night, we’re a very competitive team.”

“We’re gonna try as hard as we can,” Hartung said. “Floyd is stronger than they were last year, but we’ll still go out and play our hardest and see what happens.”