Chiefs, Maidens tennis look to continue to improve in
RONAN GIRLS player Morgan Brooks returns a libby's player serve Tuesday afternoon at Ronan High School. (photo courtesy of Jim Blow)
RONAN BOYS tennis player Thomas Yellowbird returns a forehand blast from a Libby player Tuesday afternoon at Ronan High School. (Photo Courtesy of Jim Blow)
The Ronan boys and girls tennis teams continue to refine their game as they use the regular season to prepare for postseason play.
The Chiefs defeated Darby 2-1 on April 4. The Chiefs got singles victories from Coleman Taylor. In doubles Thomas Yellowbird and Garrett Anderson both won by forfeit.
“In No. 1 boys singles, Bailey Moss struggled to gain any momentum against a good Darby kid who Bailey had beaten in our season opener,” Jim Blow said. “Coleman Taylor cruised in his No. 2 singles match and really improved on his footwork and management.”
Maidens hope to get healthy
The Ronan Maidens’ tennis team hopes to get healthy as they split this week’s contest falling to Darby and defeating Superior.
Blow said he felt his girls team has elevated its level of play to cope with the absence of Hannah Moss.
Maidens’ No. 1 player Morgan Brooks, hampered by injuries, according to Blow, lost her match to Darby’s No. 1 singles player Kimber Schlapman.
“Morgan Brooks played very well and was baselining constantly,” Blow said. “She just needs to improve her footwork and position on the court to win a few more points. To her credit, she was hampered by a sore ankle, but didn’t use that as an excuse.”
Ronan’s Maddy Sevier overcame illness to defeat No. 2 player Emmy Anderson.
“She wasn’t feeling well, but was a trooper in winning the second singles match. She is really improving quickly and building her confidence on the court,” Blow said.
The girls doubles team fought, but just fell short in their loss. Mikayla Weidow and Mariah Lingo def. Maidens’ double team Brianna Turpin and Julia Matkovich 6-7, 7-1, and 1-6.
“Our girls doubles team were in the thick of the match in a tight first set, but couldn’t string enough points together down the stretch when they needed it,” Blow said. “Brianna and Julia lost their confidence against the surging Darby girls, who took over the match in the second set.”
The girls traveled to Superior and they finished in a tie. The Maidens got victories from Turpin and doubles victories from Turpin/Sevier who def. Superior’s Mackenzie Spence/Emma Hopwood 6-4, 6-0.
“We only had three girls available, but we had a ton of fun playing tennis in between rain showers,” Blow said. “We are still dealing with a lot of injuries and we had to mix up the lineup a bit. Maddy Sevier lost in straight sets in singles, but the score doesn’t reflect how competitive she was. She battled and got better as the match went on. That was a valuable experience for her and she responded positively. She took away some confidence that she’s not that far away from winning that level of match. Breanna Turpin played a very smart match, moving her opponent around the corner and serving up some tough ball in return. She and Maddy Sevier were dominant in their doubles match. Morgan Brooks came close to winning the tight matches. She’s a little hampered by a touchy ankle, but she’s stroking the ball well and figuring out game management.”
According to Chiefs’ and Maidens’ Coach Jim Blow, his team still has some work to do after traveling to Darby and Superior this past week.
“Overall, we need to continue to improve on our serving and our court management,” Blow said.