SANFORD — The Richmond Senior High School girls’ tennis team made quick work in its match on Thursday.
Playing their third-to-last Sandhills Athletic Conference match of the regular season, the Lady Raiders cruised to a 6-3 win on the road at Lee County High School.
It was Richmond’s first match against the Lady Yellow Jackets this season, and the Lady Raiders will also make up a match against Lee County next week.
“This was a really great team win today,” head coach Jessica Covington said. “Being the last team in the conference we’ve faced, we were confident that some of our tough matches lately made us better prepared to get the win.
“I’m so proud of all the girls,” she added. “Each one of them battled and we were able to take a lead into doubles play. That is always a confidence booster and it paid off today.”
Four Lady Raiders earned a singles victory, helping the team take a 4-2 advantage into doubles. Icing the win was a pair of doubles wins.
No. 2 junior Hanna Smith and No. 6 freshman Colbie Covington each blanked her respective opponent in singles action 8-0. Smith defeated Grace Britton and Covington rolled past Racheal Montgomery.
No. 3 sophomore Jentry Denson got back in the win column with an 8-4 victory over Brooklin Underwood. Capping the singles win was No. 1 senior Neely Turner, who outlasted Allie Johnson 9-7 in extra sets.
No. 4 junior Madi Grimes and No. 5 senior Ella Scott both came up short. Scott lost 4-8 to Macie Witt and Grimes fell to Peyton Koneski 1-8.
Richmond’s No. 1 doubles team of Turner and Smith, along with its No. 3 pairing of Scott and Covington, notched a win.
Turner and Smith recorded their seventh doubles win in 10 tries this season, handing Johnson and Britton an 8-1 loss. Scott and Covington defeated Witt and Montgomery 8-4.
The Lady Raiders’ No. 2 doubles duo of Denson and Grimes nearly pulled off the sweep, but their rally attempt ended in a 6-8 loss to Underwood and Koneski.
“Hopefully this is a good sign for us moving into our final two matches next week,” Covington closed. “We’ll play two matches at home against Lee County and Scotland, both teams we’ve defeated this season.”
The Lady Raiders (4-6, 4-6 SAC) will finish their regular season next Tuesday and Thursday against Lee County and Scotland. Both home matches will start at 4 p.m.
