By Kevin Leibrock

Hendricks County Flyer

 

AVON — Several girls weren't playing in their normal positions.

Others were making their first varsity starts.

The Avon girls' tennis team may have lost its season opener 4-1 to Mooresville, but Orioles coach Stan Malless saw plenty of positives from his young squad's first outing.

"For the first time out, we competed better than I could have hoped for," Malless said. "At one point, it looked like we might win every match. It's disappointing that we didn't, but that's what experience gives you. Not very many of them have that experience to fall back on."

Avon's lone victory of the evening came in No. 2 doubles, where Megan Locke and Mikala Hillis defeated Rachel Owens and Kalli Rednarz rather quickly, 6-3, 6-3.

The other four matches went the distance, requiring three sets to determine a winner. Unfortunately for the Orioles, they fell in each of the lengthy matches.

At No. 1 singles, Avon's Bethany Harris opened up a one-set lead over Myranda Gott, but fell 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. No. 2 singles was a similar story, where Oriole RaeAnna Barnes dropped a 7-6 (9-7), 2-6, 6-2 decision to Meghann Fizpatrick. Emily Grupp found herself in the longest match of the evening at No. 3 singles, falling 6-3, 6-7 (7-6), 6-2 to Hannah Jones.

The Pioneers also won at No. 1 doubles. Mooresville's top duo of Bailey Wellspring and Claire Ronan overcame a scoreless first set to win 0-6, 6-4, 6-0 over Caroline Bennett and Bree Sawyer.

 

Click Here for the story from the Hendricks County Flyer