PEMBROKE — Coming off its best performance of the fall last Thursday, the Richmond Senior High School girls’ tennis team followed up with its first win of the season on Tuesday.
The Lady Raiders and head coach Neely Herndon started their second round of conference play, traveling to Purnell Swett High School. Richmond would use two singles match wins and a sweep of the Lady Rams in doubles play to earn a 5-4 win.
In the first matchup between the two teams on Aug. 27, Purnell Swett defeated Richmond by a final score of 9-0. Tuesday’s victory also proved to be Herndon’s first win as a high school tennis coach.
All matches were played as eight-game pro sets due to the heat and humidity.
During the team’s match at Scotland High School last week, No. 5 sophomore Elizabeth Henry earned Richmond’s first singles match win of the fall. She, along with fellow sophomores Paris Almon and Ellie Buck, and junior Kaylee Parker, won their respective doubles matches.
All four, along with junior Kearston Bruce and sophomore O’Cean Bennett, would prove to be crucial in the one-match edging of the Lady Rams.
No. 4 Almon, who has proven to be a consistent contender in her matches, defeated Raven Cummings 8-5 for her first singles match win. In the first meeting late last month, which was played following normal two-set matches, Cummings defeated Almon 6-3, 7-5.
Joining the win parade was Buck in the No. 6 singles competition against Kelly Locklear. The sophomore would defeat Locklear by a score of 8-4, in what was the first time this season the two played against one another.
Falling to their respective Lady Ram counterpart in singles play were No. 1 Bruce (3-8 loss to Melina Cummings), No. 2 Bennett (8-2 loss to Mya Sampson), No. 3 Parker (5-8 loss to Lyric Locklear) and No. 5 Henry (3-8 loss to Sydney Brooks).
Trailing 4-2 after the six singles matches, the momentum swung in favor of the Lady Raiders as they cleared the Lady Rams off the court in doubles play. In the No. 1 match, Bruce and Bennett teamed up to hold off Sampson and Locklear 8-5, earning their first win together as a tandem.
Parker and Buck would outlast Malina Cummings and Kylie Kirby in extra play in the No. 2 doubles match, pulling ahead late to earn the 9-7 win. Closing the door on the win for Richmond were Almon and Henry in the No. 3 doubles match, rolling past Brooks and Raven Cummings 8-4.
“We were very aggressive at the net today,” Herndon explained of what helped the Lady Raider into the win column.
Richmond (1-5, 1-4 SAC) will travel to SAC leader Pinecrest High School (7-2, 5-0 SAC) on Wednesday. Matches will begin at 4 p.m.
