Manchester Tennis Gets Past Huntington North
Manchester tennis faced its toughest test of the season against a talented Huntington North team and came out victorious with a 3-2 team win.
HN would get into the win column first as Bethany Penrod led 2-1 before her opponent lifted her level and won all the close games and the match. Manchester would even the score 1-1 when the dynamic doubles team of Carleigh Blevins and Addison Brubaker wowed the crowd with great play. After a 3-2 early lead, Carleigh and Addison would take two games for a 5-2 lead. HN battled to make it 3-5 but Manchester rose to the challenge as Carleigh Blevins served out a winning game for set one.
Addison Brubaker would lead the Lady Squire tandem to a fantastic second set to win with ease 6-0. Meanwhile, Myla Crozier played great when it counted the most late. In each set, Crozier would lead by a game on the changeovers 2-1, 3-2, 4-3, and 5-4. Myla’s determination and focus increased, showing her great talent and competitive spirit as she took the final game in each for a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Sarah Kerlin battled it out at the top spot as she traded big shots back and forth early and 1-1 score. Kerlin would find her strategy and shot making ability to win all the deuce games and set one 6-1. In set two, Sarah battled back from 1-2 deficit to lead 3-2, 4-3, and 5-4. The final game saw Manchester’s star win 4 straight points including a dramatic drop volley to claim the clinching Manchester point. Finally, Manchester’s two doubles team of Hailey Krom and Kate Schroll lost a close opening set 3-6 and trailed in set two 4-5 before mounting a strong 3 games to win 7-5. Set three went HN’s way as the final team score ended Manchester 3-2 over Huntington North.
In JV action all 22 of Manchester’s JV players played a set against HN. Singles winners were Marley Bellinger and Haley Betten who both impressed with their grit, talent, and improved match play including consistent groundstrokes and strategic shot placement. Ella Bradley and Katie Jenkins won a close doubles match 7-5 while Lexie Nichols and Sophia Anglin prevailed 6-4. Audrey Sanson and Citlali Quiroz Alverez continued to win matches taking tonight’s 6-1. The freshman duo of Tallulah Gawthrop and Adriana Escudero won yet again 6-3. Manchester lost several replays as HN’s best JV played a second time. Thursday Manchester travels to Bluffton and Friday continues their previously started match against a solid Columbia City team.
