The Alcovy boys tennis programed dropped a 4-1 decision Thursday night at home to visiting Ola, staving off the Mustangs’ sweep with a victory in No. 1 doubles.
Ola swept all three singles matches, dropping just 11 individual games, but it was the Tigers’ Stefen Kirk and Rhett Johnson that tallied Alcovy’s lone win of the day in the program’s opening doubles contest.
“We have improved since the first match of the season,” Alcovy coach Jason Jones said. “We have a very young squad in terms of playing experience, so the more time on the court we can get against other teams the better it is for us. I saw them improve today and that’s what I’m looking for right now.”
Kirk and Johnson led from the outset in No. 1 doubles, defeating the Mustangs’ Kenan Bilgicer and Tyler Chasteen 8-4.
The Mustangs responded with a win in No. 1 singles, tying the contest at 1-1.
Mitch Bailey downed the Tigers’ Clayton Anderson 8-4 to even the score and the Mustangs took the lead after Michael Helsper and Will Allen downed Alcovy’s Chris Dube and Tyler Booth 8-2 in No. 2 doubles.
Ola added a pair of wins in the final two matches of the night, clinching the match in No. 2 singles. Josh O’Neill captured an 8-2 win over the Tigers’ Okon Godwin, pushing the Mustangs’ advantage to 3-1, and Ola’s Jeffery Pope closed with an 8-5 win over Alcovy’s Holden Miller for the 4-1 final.
Cambron gets win
In the girls’ contest against the Lady Mustangs, Faith Cambron led the Lady Tigers in No. 3 singles with a victory, but Alcovy fell by the same score as the boys’ team, dropping a 4-1 decision.
In the final match of the night, Cambron took a 6-1 lead, but had to hold off the Lady Mustangs’ Ansley Calhoun. Calhoun battled back and won consecutive games, but Cambron held on for the 8-3 victory.
The Alcovy girls fell in their opening match in No. 1 singles, as Jordyn White dropped am 8-4 decision to Ola’s Emily Owen.
The Lady Mustangs took a 2-0 advantage with a No. 1 doubles victory. Cally Anderson and Tiffany Ford bested the Alcovy duo of Brieonna Wilcox and Marissa Todus 9-7 and Ola’s Grace David downed the Lady Tigers’ Trista Twiford 8-4 in No. 2 singles.
With a 3-0 lead, Ola added to its advantage with a win in No. 2 doubles, as Kelly Adkins and Michelle Le topped Ajanae Johnson and Blair Jackson 8-6.
“Overall, I thought the girls did pretty well,” Alcovy coach Marcia Lynn Watkins said. “It’s still early in the season and this is just our second match. I can already see improvement out of them. All I can ask of them is to improve each match. We want to see that growth each time we take the court.”
