Blues Complete Team Portion Of Season
The Parry McCluer High School girls tennis team concluded the team portion of its season with a 5-3 home loss to Bland County in the Region 1C quarterfinals last Wednesday evening at the Southern Virginia University courts in Buena Vista.
The Fighting Blues finished 7-4 overall and 3-1 in the Pioneer District, defeating Narrows for the district title. Last year, the Blues went 9-5 overall and 4-2 in the district, finishing second to Bath County in the district and ending their season with a 5-2 loss to Grayson County in the Region 1C quarterfinals.
In the regional quarterfinals last Wednesday, Bland County won two of three doubles matches and three singles contests, with the No. 3 singles match stopped after the team result had been decided.
PM’s singles winners were Olive King at No. 1 and Keely Mahaffey at No. 4. King and Macy Shafer teamed up at No. 2 doubles to earn a 7-5, 6-4 win.
Reviewing the season, PM head coach Alyssa Sewell said, “The whole season, I was really thrilled with how our team was one cohesive family unit. I really loved how much they supported one another. Whether it was a low day or a high day, the girls were always there, which I think carried through on the court and ultimately helped them perform to the best of their abilities.”
Before the match, the Blues honored their three seniors: King, Shafer and Peira Conner.
Sewell praised all of her seniors after the match. She said King, the Pioneer District singles champion, “is the definition of a fighter.”
Sewell noted that tennis isn’t King’s main sport. King was an all-state swimmer for the Blues this year and last year and will swim for Southern Virginia University next year. “She is very competitive, and it’s been awesome watching her play and excel, not only in swimming, but she’s amazing at tennis, too,” said Sewell, in her third year as PM’s head coach.
Sewell said Shafer, PM’s No. 2 singles player, had a great career. “She has improved so much from the first year that I worked with her, her sophomore year,” said Sewell. “She never gives up and has so much grit, works really hard.”
Conner played at No. 3 singles and teamed up with Mahaffey, a sophomore, to place second in the district doubles tournament. “I really loved seeing Peira and Keely really shine this season,” said Sewell. “I was very proud of them. When they were on and playing doubles together, it was like magic.”
King was scheduled to play in the Region 1C singles tournament on Monday. Conner and Mahaffey, who were the runner-up team in the district doubles tournament, teamed up for the Region 1C doubles tournament yesterday. For results, visit www.thenews-gazette.com, and see the full story in next week’s newspaper.
Bland County 5, PM 3
SINGLES – Olive King (PM) d. Tinley Worley (BC) 6-4, 6-1; Addison Myers (BC) d. Macy Shafer (PM) 7-6, 6-0; Peira Conner (PM) vs. Kendall Worley (BC) did not finish; Keely Mahaffey (PM) d. Alysia Lopez (BC) 6-4, 6-0; Annabelle Rasnake (BC) d. Elizabeth Truslow (PM) 6-3, 6-3; Raine Mutter (BC) d. Peyton Chittum (PM) 6-0, 6-2.
DOUBLES – Worley and Myers (BC) d. Conner and Mahaffey (PM) 6-1, 6-1; King and Shafer (PM) d. Worley and Lopez (BC) 7-5, 6-4; Rasnake and Mutter (BC) d. Truslow and Chittum (PM).
AT LEFT, PM sophomore Elizabeth Truslow hits a forehand shot while junior teammate Peyton Chittum waits at the baseline during their match at No. 3 doubles. BELOW LEFT, Fighting Blue senior Olive King makes a forehand volley from the net. BELOW, PM senior Macy Shafer reaches for a forehand shot. (Ronnie Coffey photos)
