ROCKINGHAM — A lot of competitive tennis was played Tuesday as the Lady Raider tennis team entered the win column.
In what was supposed to be a doubleheader with Hoke County High School, Richmond and the Lady Bucks only had enough daylight for one match.
Going back and forth in singles and doubles action, the Lady Raiders eeked out a 5-4 victory, their first of the season.
Richmond took a lead by winning four of the six singles matches and closed the door by winning one of the three doubles contests.
Three of the Lady Raiders’ returning starters got a win — senior Hanna Smith, junior Jentry Denson and sophomore Colbie Covington. The other victory came courtesy of senior Ava Thompson, her first career win.
“It’s great to get in the win column as a team,” head coach Jessica Covington said. “The girls have been working so hard all season and that work paid off against a tough Hoke County team. Taking four singles matches proved to be really helpful for us.
“We were more aggressive today and that was a key for the girls to make better shots,” she added. “It was good to get into a rhythm even though we didn’t have our best doubles matches. Hopefully we can continue to build momentum from here.”
In the No. 1 singles match, Smith had the team’s only shutout win of the day. She blanked Kalea Parker 8-0 for her first singles win this fall.
Trading points with their opponents, No. 2 Denson and No. 4 Covington defeated Azari McLean and Hera Lin by scores of 8-4 and 8-5, respectively. It was Covington’s second single W of the season and Denson’s first.
Richmond’s other singles win came in 8-2 fashion by Thompson, who cruised past Razia Cabero.
No. 3 Madison Grimes and No. 5 Kenleigh Parker, both seniors, fell 8-1 and 8-0 to Laura Pena and Fa’alentiono Lin, respectively.
Smith and Denson paired up for Richmond’s final and match-deciding victory in doubles play. In the No. 1 doubles match, Smith and Denson held on for an 8-5 win over Parker and Pena.
Parker and Thompson forced a tiebreaker against F. Lin and Cabero in the No. 3 doubles match but lost 10-4. Grimes and Covington also fell short in doubles action, 8-4 against McLean and H. Lin.
The Lady Raiders (1-2) will get the rest of the week off. Their match with Union Pines High School, scheduled for Thursday, has been rescheduled.
Richmond and Hoke County will make up their second match of the doubleheader later this season, Covington explained.
PHOTOS: Click here to view photos of Tuesday’s home opener.
