SOUTHERN PINES — After getting their first taste of victory against Purnell Swett High School on Tuesday, the Lady Raider tennis team put forth another effort to try and upset the current Sandhills Athletic Conference leader on Wednesday.
Back in action for the second day in a row, Richmond and head coach Neely Herndon traveled to Pinecrest High School to take on a Lady Patriot squad that was perfect in SAC play. The match wouldn’t go in the Lady Raiders’ favor, seeing them swept by Pinecrest 9-0.
In the two teams’ first meeting on Aug. 29, the Lady Patriots (8-2, 6-0 SAC) also blanked the Lady Raiders by the same score. Wednesday’s match saw all singles and doubles matches played as eight-game pro sets.
The Lady Raiders would see all six of their singles matches end in an 0-8 loss. In the No. 1 match, junior Kearston Bruce faced Caroline Landry, No. 2 sophomore O’Cean Bennett lost to Brooke LaFrenz and No. 3 junior Kaylee Parker fell to Maddie Arrington.
No. 4 sophomore Paris Almon, one of two Lady Raiders to win her match against Purnell Swett, was bounced by Isabella King. Sophomore No. 5 Elizabeth Henry came up short against Anna Grace Black and No. 6 sophomore Ellie Buck, the other player to win on Tuesday, saw her match end in a win for Kat Watford.
Richmond’s best match of the day was the No. 3 doubles pro set, which saw Almon and Henry earn five game wins before falling to Anna Henry and Halle Hunt 5-8.
Bruce and Bennett lost 0-8 to LaFrenz and Arrington before Parker and Buck ended the match with a loss by the same score to Alexandra King and Alyssa Furie in the No. 2 doubles contest.
The Lady Raiders (1-6, 1-5 SAC) will cap their three-match week on Thursday at home against Jack Britt High School. Earlier this month, the Lady Buccaneers (4-1, 4-1 SAC) defeated Richmond 9-0. Singles matches will get underway at 4 p.m.
