ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School girls’ tennis team will be the first of the school’s six fall sports programs to kick off its 2019 campaign.
The Lady Raiders, who are under the direction of first-year head coach Neely Herndon, will hit the court on Monday, Aug. 19, for their first match of the season. Richmond will welcome in newly-formed Montgomery Central High School at 4 p.m.
Herndon will also welcome in a new cast of players, sporting nine girls who are all new to the sport. Over the last two weeks of practice, Herndon and the team have spent a majority of their practice time learning the fundamentals and rules of the sport.
“Of course we want to compete in singles and doubles,” Herndon said. “But right now I want them to be able to learn the rules of the game and understand and apply them.
“The biggest challenges the past two weeks have been getting them to understand the scoring system, the transition on the court and serving,” she continued. “Those have all been a big part of practice. I hope that they’re able to take what they’ve learned and apply it on Monday.”
Herndon also added that the team needs to learn the basics before it can perfect its play. “Learning and growth this season” is the primary mindset.
This year’s team is comprised of four juniors: Kearston Bruce, Kacie Medina, Kaylee Parker and Natalie Pattan; four sophomores: Paris Almon, O’Cean Bennett, Ellie Buck and Lizzy Henry; and one freshman: Maren Carter.
Currently, Bruce and Bennett are battling for the No. 1 and No. 2 single seeds on the team, but Herndon said the duo will represent the Lady Raiders as the No. 1 doubles team. Behind them, Henry and Parker are in the same spot for the No. 3 and No. 4 slots, and will serve as the No. 2 doubles pairing.
The bottom of the lineup, Herndon explained, is still being worked out. She also said that the lineup can change throughout the season depending on how each player develops.
“There are a lot of competitive girls on the team, which is a plus,” Herndon said. “They may not win matches all the time but they’re playing the top players and I know they’ll try their best.
“Wins and losses aren’t things I’m focused on,” she added. “I’d rather the girls come out and learn while they play and enjoy what they’re doing. With no returners from last year, we’re looking to build the program for the next couple years with a lot of younger players.”
Last year’s Lady Raider tennis team went on an 11-match winning streak and finished the season 12-3 overall, while also making an appearance in the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs. But with all of last year’s members graduated, Herndon is optimistic on how this season will go.
“We have to take the season point by point, set by set and so on,” Herndon noted. “The girls don’t need to focus on winning the match, they need to focus on winning the point first and go from there. That we can get good at quickly.
“We’re all a little unsure of what is going to happen, but they’ve practiced hard against each other to get experience,” she closed. “I’ve thrown in scrimmages and games with both singles and doubles in practice, so we’re about as prepared as we can be for Monday.”
Junior Kearston Bruce joined ROSports to share her expectations for the upcoming season in the latest edition of Raider Video Chats. (click photo for video)
