Wakefield girls tennis
Caroline Kohls has steadily improved this season, helping the Wakefield tennis team get within reach of a playoff spot, according to head coach Ken Stewart.
Wakefield tennis has playoffs in sights
The Wakefield girls tennis team's weather-shortened 5-2 victory over Enloe Monday provided the Lady Wolverines with breathing room entering the final stretch of the regular season.
With just three matches remaining, including Thursday's match at Sanderson, Wakefield needs to win only two of its last three contests to clinch second place in the Cap-7 Conference, earning an automatic bid into the state playoffs.
"It was a big win for us because it puts us up in the loss column," said Wakefield head coach Ken Stewart.
Having lost just twice in conference — both to first-place Broughton — the Lady Wolverines are at least a game up on Leesville Road (three losses) and two games on Enloe (four losses). And considering the Pride must face Broughton — which is undefeated this season — once more, it is likely Leesville will have a fourth loss in league action.
In Wakefield's win over Enloe, Allyi Prior scored a 6-1, 6-0 victory in No. 1 singles, and teammates Alanna Albrecht, Caroline Kohls and Jenna Martin followed suit, winning their respective matches.
Albrecht teamed up with Shani Ervin to win their doubles' match 8-3. When the contest was ended early, the Lady Wolverines were also winning their two remaining doubles matches, according to their coach.
Ironically, Stewart reasoned Wakefield's 9-0 defeat to the Capitals last week gave the squad an added punch heading into the Enloe match.
"I know the scores were lopsided, but I'm not kidding when I say we played well," he said. "Broughton is the odds-on favorite to win it all this year — they took care of Green Hope yesterday. So for us, it was a good confidence boost to go out there and play well against them."
Case in point: Wakefield's Albrecht fell 6-0, 6-0 to Asha Iyengar, but nine of their first 11 games went to deuce, according to Stewart.
In other action, Broughton's Hamilton Lovett defeated Prior 6-2, 6-2; Katie Kane knocked of Ervin 6-0, 6-2; Kelsey Boole defeated Kohls 6-3, 6-0; Laura Robertson bested Jenna Martin 6-1, 6-0; and Camille Runyans took down Nicole Wenick 6-0, 6-1.
In the teams' most competitive doubles team, Prior/Martin pushed Lovett/Davidson, but lost 8-4.
Afterward, Stewart recalled several of his players commenting about how close their matches were, but that they couldn't quite finish them off.
"Coaches always talk about a good loss, but that was a good day for us," Stewart explained. "It wasn't a downer even though we lost."
In other recent action, Wakefield knocked off Wake Forest 9-0 Sept. 17.
Ervin, Kohls and Cochran all won their respective singles matches 6-0, 6-0.
Albrecht, Martin and Marissa Begin also posted victories.
Kellie and Nicole Wenick put together an impressive doubles performance, winning 8-0.
As the season has progressed, Stewart said several Lady Wolverines have shown improvement, notably Kohls and Martin.
"Kohls has been playing really well for us, and I think her knee is feeling healthy," the coach said. "And Jenna, who was pretty much thrown into the fire this year, has done extremely well."
Following Thursday's match with Sanderson, Wakefield hosts Millbrook Monday, Oct. 5, and visits Leesville Wednesday, Oct. 7. All three matches begin at 3:30 p.m.
