It took one two hour and 20 minute match — the only one Monticello lost on the day — but the Mustangs’ girls tennis team has its first ever Jefferson District tournament title.
“This is awesome, everyone is so excited,” said Monticello junior Lizzy Gaffney. “Hopefully we’ll make another ‘first time in history’ in regionals.”
The Mustangs picked up a 5-1 victory over perennial powerhouse Western Albemarle, leaning on a powerful performance in singles from their trio of senior captains, Margret Rives, Mariah Shaw and Samantha Lin. Lin won 6-4, 6-2 in the fifth spot while Rives gutted out a 6-2, 7-5 victory in the second slot and Shaw picked up a 6-0, 6-3 win in the fourth position.
Lin had a particularly spirited match with Cari Bland, with both players sharing some lengthy, intense volleys.
“(Bland) can really hit the ball hard and Samantha just kept getting it back,” said Monticello coach Lea Doise. “She had some winners and her serve was good — she played really well.”
Lin was one of several heroes in Monticello’s early season, confidence-building victory over the Warriors, also knocking off Bland, this time in a 10-5 battle.
Kelsey Combs also picked up a victory in singles to help finish off the title run for the Mustangs. What’s particularly impressive about Monticello’s victory is that they did it without junior Kate Geldmacher, out with an ankle injury she suffered in a volleyball tournament. Geldmacher was the Mustangs’ No. 2 player before she got hurt. Instead the Mustangs proved they’ve got some depth with Combs and Ordel in particular coming on strong.
Gaffney and Maddie Wilson’s matchup in the No.1 slot was a battle in the second set. Wilson came on strong after dropping the first set 6-0, managing to take three games off of Gaffney, who hadn’t lost a game to Wilson or any other Jefferson District opponent all season. Gaffney appeared frustrated at times during the match, but that apparently she was enjoying herself.
“She played a great match and it was actually really fun,” Gaffney said. “The crowd was a little intense, but it’s important to be able to block that stuff out, it’s great practice for regionals.”
Wilson and Gaffney are considered the favorites to meet again today in the Jefferson District’s singles championships, if they can get past their semifinal opponents.
As for the two and a half hour match, the marathon pitted Monticello’s Alex Ordel and Western’s Lauren Hagspiel. Both players battled throughout, fighting for every point in a match that nearly outlasted the fifth and sixth seed matchups that hit the court after the first flight of matches finished. Hagspiel eventually won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, but it was far from easy.
“They played hard for each and every point and I think that’s why it took so long,” said Western coach Sara Dahl.
Both squads advance to the Region II tournament next week, with both squads’ opponents yet to be determined.
