ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School girls’ tennis team saw its hard work rewarded Tuesday with its first win of the season.
Ending a two-match skid to start the season, the Lady Raiders kept rivalry week in Richmond’s favor with a victory over Scotland High School.
With both programs undergoing rebuilding years, it was Richmond that prevailed and nearly blanked the Lady Scots. The final score was 8-1.
“It was so great for the girls to be rewarded for all their hard work,” head coach Jessica Covington said. “Any time we play Scotland, there’s a little extra motivation behind the way we play and that showed today.
“Today was a culmination of all the progress we’ve made since starting workouts in June,” she continued. “I saw the girls putting the little things together that led to several individual wins, and of course, our first team win.”
Richmond secured the match victory in singles play by having all six players sweep the competition. In doubles action, the Lady Raiders won two of the three matches.
Moving up into the top two spots in the lineup this year, No. 1 senior Jentry Denson and No. 2 junior Colbie Covington each collected her first win of the new campaign.
Playing pro-eight sets, Denson had the team’s lone shutout victory when she defeated Kaleigh Leviner 8-0. Colbie Covington was not far behind in her match against Danyah Norton, which resulted in an 8-1 victory.
No. 3 freshman Molly Covington and No. 6 sophomore Erin Drumwright picked up their team-leading second singles wins of the season.
Molly Covington cruised past Trinity Rodriguez 8-3, while Drumwright outplayed Leighannah Williams 8-5.
Capping singles action were No. 4 sophomore Sydney Barnes and No. 5 junior Angelina Culbreth, both of whom notched their her career varsity victory.
Culbreth took little time to defeat Lene Gahle 8-3, and Barnes held on for an 8-6 win over Ward Shay.
Keeping a straight lineup for doubles play, the No. 1 duo of Denson and Colbie Covington and the No. 2 pairing of Molly Covington and Barnes secured wins.
Denson and Colbie Covington defeated Leviner and Norton 8-1, while Molly Covington and Barnes blanked Rodriguez and Gahle 8-0.
Richmond’s lone loss of the afternoon was a 6-8 defeat in the No. 3 doubles match. Culbreth and Drumwright were edged by Shay and Williams.
“I’m so proud of all the girls, especially all those who got their first win of the season or their first career win,” Coach Covington closed. “Hopefully our non-conference matches prepared us for when we start conference play in two weeks.”
The Lady Raiders (1-2) will begin Mid-South Conference play Sept. 8 at home against Pine Forest High School. Singles play will begin at 4 p.m.
