Showing improvement, the Rockbridge County High School girls tennis team challenged a pair of Shenandoah District rivals before falling in home matches last week.
The Wildcats lost to Buffalo Gap 6-3 last Tuesday before coming up short 5-4 against Staunton in their closest match of the season on Thursday. With the losses, the Wildcats fell to 0-9, both overall and in the district.
Against Buffalo Gap (1-7 overall and district), the Wildcats were playing without their top singles player, Corinna Allen. Singles winners were Mila Baker at No. 3 and Claire Taylor at No. 4, while Charlotte Taylor and Jade Newhall won at No. 3 doubles.
In the match against Staunton (3-6 overall and district), the Wildcats narrowly lost to a team that beat them 7-2 on March 20 in Staunton. Singles winners for RC were Baker at No. 4, Claire Taylor at No. 5, and Charlotte Taylor at No. 6. In doubles, Claire and Charlotte Taylor teamed up to win at No. 3.
RC head coach Mark Sholes said the Storm are very strong in their top three singles spots. The coach added that it helped that a parent brought food to energize his players.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play at Riverheads on Monday and will play host to Fort Defiance on Thursday before visiting Waynesboro on Monday. All matches are scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
BG 6, RC 3
SINGLES – Sophia Donadio (BG) d. Diya Gandhi (RC) 8-5; Taylor Bergdall-Judd (BG) d. Grace Maquera Ramos (RC) 8-6; Mila Baker (RC) d. Jessica Rathburn (BG) 8-6; Claire Taylor (RC) d. Jordyn Hoffman (BG) 8-6; Katharyn Perez (BG) d. Charlotte Taylor (RC) 8-6; Hailey Curry (BG) d. Jade Newhall (RC) 8-3.
DOUBLES – Donadio and Bergdall-Judd (BG) d. Gandhi and Baker (RC) 8-0; Rathburn and Hoffman (BG) d. Ramos and Claire Taylor (RC) 8-6; Perez and Curry (BG) d. Newhall and Charlotte Taylor (RC) 8-3.
Staunton 5, RC 4
SINGLES – Hayden Terry (S) d. Corinna Allen (RC) 8-1; Lola Rohr (S) d. Gandhi (RC) 8-2; Livi Reed (S) d. Ramos (S) 8-0; Baker (RC) d. Lux Thompson (S) 8-2; Claire Taylor (RC) d. Laura Medley (S) 8-6; Charlotte Taylor (RC) d. Adrian Crawford (S) 8-0.
DOUBLES – Terry and Rohr (S) d. Allen and Gandhi (RC) 8-0; Reed and Thompson (S) d. Ramos and Baker (RC) 8-1; Claire and Charlotte Taylor (RC) d. Medley and Kieran Puit (S) 8-4.
