ROCKINGHAM — A late surge during Thursday’s match came up just short for the Richmond Senior High School girls’ tennis team.
Playing in their second home Sandhills Athletic Conference contest of the week, the Lady Raiders were edged 5-4 by visiting Southern Lee High School.
Richmond earned two wins out of the six singles matches before adding two more victories in doubles play.
“We just weren’t able to get it done today in a really close match,” head coach Jessica Covington said. “Southern Lee is a team that we’ve struggled against, but they’re also a team that we have the ability to beat, as we showed today.
“It can be difficult going into doubles knowing we have to win all three matches to earn the team win,” she continued. “The girls had a great attitude and really made a strong effort to complete the comeback.”
The Lady Raiders’ first two victories were courtesy of No. 2 junior Jentry Denson and No. 3 senior Madison Grimes.
Denson, facing Logan Hickman in the No. 2 singles match, was ahead 4-0 before it was ruled a forfeit. Hickman exited the match with an injury.
In the No. 3 singles competition, Grimes went back and forth with Brooke Burris. Able to hold on late, Grimes closed out the 8-6 victory.
No. 1 senior Hanna Smith, No. 4 sophomore Colbie Covington, No. 5 senior Kenleigh Parker and No. 6 senior Ava Thompson each lost her respective singles match.
Smith was defeated 8-1 by Genesis Gonzalez, Covington lost a close match 8-6 to Quillen Petrarca, Parker fell short 8-2 to Zophia Pogorzelska and Thompson suffered an 8-3 defeat to Gina DeCerbo.
Needing the sweep in all three doubles matches, Richmond earned victories in the No. 2 and No. 3 contests.
Sticking with a recent lineup change, No. 2 Denson and Grimes paired nicely together to roll past Burris and Petrarca 8-3.
No. 3 teammates Parker and Thompson, who have played doubles together all season, survived 9-7 over Pogorzelska and DeCerbo.
The Lady Raiders’ top doubles tandem of Smith and Covington nearly completed the clean sweep but fell 8-6 in a tight matchup.
The Lady Raiders (2-3, 2-3 SAC) will continue regular season conference play at home Tuesday. Pinecrest High School will visit Rockingham and singles matches will start at 4 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Thursday’s home match soon.
