Lady Squire Tennis Falls To #9 Homestead
Manchester traveled to the southwest side of Fort Wayne to take on #9 state ranked Homestead Wednesday.
Several Lady Squire players pushed the Lady Spartans long and far into the evening. Homestead won 2 doubles without giving up a game although Rebekah Pyle and Briley Spann played several games to deuce. Eva Bazzoni at 3 singles took some time to adjust going down 0-5. Eva would win 3 of the final 10 games to finish 1-6, 2-6. The #1 doubles team of Anna Osborne and Halie Wampler really battled their Homestead opponents. “Early on Anna and Halie definitely proved themselves starting out 2-3. We had a many deuce games with several game points within reach but struggled to convert into games. I thought Halie’s powerful serve gave Homestead trouble while Anna’s groundstrokes stood toe to toe with talented opponents.” At #2 singles Halle Briner struggled to break into the game won column falling behind 0-5. But Briner battled back to tie the set at 5-5. Down 5-6, Halle lost a 15 minute multiple deuce game to drop the set 5-7. The second set was 1-6, but the score didn’t reflect the closeness of play. “Halle played very well tonight after the slow start. She showed grit and determination to claw back into the match and was a tough out in each game of set two.” The longest match of the night was at #1 singles. Playing her best match of the season, Kelsey Eichenauer started with confidence. Having game points in each of the first three games but only converting one opportunity netted a 1-2 beginning. Eichenauer would pull out the next two games to go up 3-2. Homestead would narrowly win the next four games to take set one 6-3. The second set saw the level of both players continue to elevate. Points started with powerful slice and spin serves and developed into a mix of powerful slugfests, aggressive attacks and defensive shots to counter, and net play mixed with volleys, timely lobs, and stretching overheads. “Kelsey and Jenna really entertained with quality shot making and excellent strategy. Both played at a high level showcasing their talents. It was fitting that their match ended with a hug showing their mutual respect, friendship, and love of the game.” Manchester is now 6-4 on the season.
In JV play, Manchester lost 7 of 9 matches. Kayla Hippensteel played well in a 5-8 defeat coming back from 0-5 to get to 4-5. Abbie Wampler and Addie Haecker paired up for a second match and won in a tiebreaker (7-4) after a 5-5 game tie. Roma Kaur and Emma Pyle also won their replay opportunity 6-3. Manchester hosts #4 ranked Fort Wayne Carroll at 5pm on Thursday for their first home match. Next Tuesday Whitko visits the Lady Squires at 5pm.
Manchester vs. Homestead 4/24/19
Varsity Singles Winner Score
1 Kelsey Eichenauer (12) vs. Jenna Lewis (10) Hom 3-6, 4-6
2 Halle Briner (10) vs. Olivia Creech (10) Hom 5-7, 1-6
3 Eva Bazzoni (10) vs. Madison Zitlaw (10) Hom 1-6, 2-6
Varsity Doubles
1 Anna Osborne (12) vs. Payton Krahn (12) Hom 2-6, 1-6
Halie Wampler (12) Morgan Render (10)
2 Rebekah Pyle (11) vs. Pravi Jain (11) Hom 0-6, 0-6
Briley Spann (12) Anna Topmiller (9)
Injured: Alyssa Marvel (9), Alexa Donathan (10) RESULT: Loss 0-5
Absent: Morgan Stroud (12) RECORD: 6-4 (4-0 TRC)
Junior Varsity Singles
1 Roma Kaur (10) vs. Ellie Cook (9) Hom 0-8
2 Kayla Hippensteel (9) vs. Colleen White (10) Hom 5-8
3 Abbie Wampler (9) vs. Katie Scardina (10) Hom 1-8
Junior Varsity Doubles
1 Brylee Kerr (12) vs. Ashley Stephens (11) Hom 3-8
Cassie Newman (12) Kayleigh O’Hara (11)
2 Lillian Myers (12) vs. Olivia Meek (12) Hom 0-8
Emma Pyle (9) Claire Angel (12)
3 Ema Mercova (11Ex) vs. Merin French (10) Hom 1-8
Haylie Miller (11) Emily McLaughlin (11)
4 Addie Haecker (11) vs. Lydia Stout (9) Hom 3-8
Catherine Ondrla (10) Sidney Phongkhanmewig (9)
5 Abbie Wampler (9) vs. Homestead JV 5 doubles Man 6-3
Addie Haecker (11)
6 Roma Kaur (10) vs. Homestead JV 6 doubles Man 6-5 (7-4)
Emma Pyle (9)
Not Playing: Margaret Myers (10), Kayla Metzger (10)
