By Don Eskins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Kickapoo Lady Chiefs knocked off the Ozark Lady Tigers 8-1, in a dual tennis meet held in Ozark, on Tuesday afternoon. The win pushed Kickapoo’s seasonal record up to 2-1. With the loss the Lady Tigers now stand at 2-2.
“I’m really happy with the effort our kids put out today. They all played well,” said Kickapoo head coach Eric Wilbur. “We have three returning varsity players from last year’s squad and three new members, two freshman and one junior. It’s been fun to watch them mesh with one another. They’ve developed quite a working relationship with each other and they’re getting better every day.”
The Lady Chiefs were in control of the match throughout the afternoon winning all three opening doubles matches. In singles competition they took five of six.
Picking up one of those doubles matches was Asantae Haanstad and Reagan Brown. The pair make up the Lady Chiefs No. 2 doubles team. Both players feel that their game is showing improvement every day.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH
“Overall we just really work well together,” said Brown. “Asantae works the baseline primarily and I take the net. So far things have been going great for us.”
“We do work well together. We have a good chemistry about us,” Haanstad said. “I’m really excited about the year and what the future may hold for us. We’re shooting for the state playoffs, that’s what this is all about.”
It looked as if the Lady Chiefs were going to sweep the Tigers on Tuesday but Ozark’s Abby Taylor had other ideas. With the match knotted up at 8-8, Taylor went on to win, out pointing her opponent 7-2 in a tie breaker.
“I’m really proud to have won today, but I’m also very proud of my team,” said Taylor. “We’re all very good friends, having fun and we’re getting better every day.”
It’s been a tough draw for the Tigers through their first four outings, but Ozark head coach Greg Hannah is looking at his team’s start on the positive side.
“We’ve beaten Glendale and Rogersville this year. Our losses have come from Springfield Catholic and Kickapoo, two of the strongest programs in the state,” Hannah said. “Our kids have started off their season with the toughest part of their schedule. But the level of the competition will make us better for the rest of the season.”
The Lady Tigers will take on Greenwood on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 30) while the Lady Chiefs will take the week off. Kickapoo will clash with Glendale on Tuesday (Sept. 5).
Kickapoo 9 , Ozark 1
Singles- 1- Coral Tracy (K) def Madison Woods (O) 8-0; 2- Reagan Brown (K) def Bailey Major 8-1; 3- Asantae Haanstad (K) def Macy Abernathy (O) 8-4; 4- Abigail Taylor (O) def Jadyn Wersinger (K) 8-9- (7-2 tie breaker); 5- Paige McCurry (K) def Kaitlyn Short (O) 8-5; 6- Kylee Halverson (K) def Jadyn Engel (O) 8-0.
Doubles- 1- Tracy & Wersinger (K) def Woods & Abernathy (O) 8-5; 2- Brown & Haanstad (K) def Major & Engel (O) 8-1; 3- Halverson & McCurry (K) def Taylor & Short (O) 8-2.
