Morgan opens up season with wins versus Eastwood
Published 10:34 pm Friday, February 21, 2014
Morgan Academy’s Abigail Lane hits the ball in the Senators’ first tennis match of the year against Eastwood Christian. Lane took on Eastwood’s Anna Johnson in Friday’s matches.–Daniel Evans
In their opening matches of the season, the Morgan Academy Lady Senators’ tennis team had little trouble with Eastwood Christian.
The Senators’ varsity team won all five of its singles matches against Eastwood and split the two doubles matches between the teams.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” Morgan head coach Baxter Stinson said. “This is a rebuilding year for us and this is our first match. We had a good day and we started off with a win.”
Stinson said he wanted to use this match as a measuring stick to see where the Senators were and now he has a better gauge of how good the overall team is.
“We were just coming out here to see where we were and now we know a little bit more than we did before,” Stinson said.
The Senators’ seemed to play like it was midseason, rather than their first matches of the year.
Morgan’s Emily Sherrer defeated Eastwood’s Amelia Rhodes 6-0, 6-0 to get the momentum rolling the Senators’ direction. Sophie Talton of the Senators won her match over Bizzy Kocher 6-3, 6-2 and Morgan’s Annie Talton defeated Kaylie Williamson 6-0, 6-1.
The final two singles matches also went Morgan’s way, with Ellie Adams defeating Corienne Vermillian 6-0, 6-3 and Haley Mathiews defeating Mary Phyfer Perkins 6-3, 6-4.
Stinson said Matthews’ performance really stood out.
“[She] was playing No. 5 and she is a senior,” Stinson said. “This is her first time ever being in the top five and she had the closest match and had to play the hardest.”
Sherrer and Talton defeated Williams and Parker in the first varsity doubles match of the day 8-3.
Talton and Adams didn’t fare as well, falling to Kocher and Vermillion 3-8.
The Lady Senators’ B-team was also in action Friday. Morgan’s Mark Kelley Logan defeated Kirby Rocket 8-0 and Maggie Palmer defeated Adelaide Howard 8-0. The Senators’ Lilly Youngblood won over Lia Forte 8-3.
Morgan’s Abigail Lane fell to Eastwood’s Anna Johnson 4-8. Morgan Academy’s Mallory Mathiews and Ashley Willard also lost matches Friday.
The Senators’ boys tennis team was not in action Friday, but will play when Morgan takes the court for its next match against Kingwood Academy Monday.
