The Greenwood High School tennis teams are nearing the end of their regular season schedule, with the 5A West conference tournament slated for later this month, and both squads are looking to gain momentum. The league tournament will be held in Russellville at Arkansas Tech and the high school over two days, September 24-25.
Head Coach Ken Hamilton is high on the chances of the Lady Bulldogs winning the conference tournament, but has some concerns about the Bulldogs, who have just six players on their roster, and two of them are new this season. “All the boys have to step it up if they are going to be competitive in the conference tournament,” said the coach.
“The conference is the weakest it’s been in several years,” added Hamilton candidly. “These hurts preparing for end of the season tournaments (conference and state) because most of the players, especially the girls, have not been challenged. We scheduled Rogers and Van Buren to give us a true test of our abilities on the court.
“If the girls play their best, they should be conference champions,” he continued. “They are really having a battle for the last two positions on the team, with four girls, Amber Alzufari, Madie Pelt, Katelyn Bailey, and Breanna Acosta, playing inter-squad tournaments for the number two doubles positions. They are so close in ability, it will come down to who plays the best in the last inter-squad match this week.”
Indeed, the Lady Bulldogs are doing just fine, cruising to three more team victories in net play over the past couple of weeks, defeating Russellville, Vilonia, and Greenbrier in league action.
Russellville
The Greenwood girls’ tennis team won all four of their varsity matches against the Lady Cyclones of Russellville on September 11th. Juniors Olivia Gaston and Abigail Woodring both won their singles matches, 8-0, to remain undefeated in conference play.
In #1 girls doubles action, seniors Leighton Haralson and Karli Fisher won their match, 8-2, while junior Breanna Acosta and senior Katelyn Bailey won, 8-0. Senior Amber Alzufari and junior Madie Pelt wrapped things up for the Lady Bulldogs with an 8-0 win.
Sophomore Sarah Beshears and junior Abbie Rudder teamed up for doubles in junior varsity play, but fell by a score of 4-8. Sophomore Lily Hobbs and freshman Chaise Hannah also lost 4-8 in JV doubles.
For the GHS boys, senior Kenny Sweeney fell 4-8 in singles play, while sophomore Zackery Beshears won the only match of the day for the Bulldogs, an 8-2 singles victory. Senior Auston Shown and sophomore Jonathan Mitchell lost 5-8 in doubles play, while the duo of senior Jack Gaston and sophomore Micah Belue fell 6-8 in a tough, close contest.
Vilonia
The Lady Bulldogs took all four games against Vilonia on Thursday, September 13th. Gaston won her singles match, 8-0, and Woodring won, 8-1. Haralson and Fisher won their doubles match by a score of 8-4. Alzufari and Pelt wrapped things up with an 8-5 win.
Sweeney and Beshears both won their singles matches, 8-0, in boys’ play, while the teams of Shown and Mitchell and Gaston and Belue won their doubles matches by identical scores of 8-4.
Greenbriar
Also on the 13th the Lady Bulldogs continued their excellent play in competition against the Lady Panthers. Gaston and Woodring maintained their unbeaten records in singles play, winning 8-0 and 8-1, respectively.
Haralson and Fisher won their second doubles match of the day by a score of 8-3. Acosta and Bailey fell just short in a hard-fought battle 8-9.
Mitchell won Greenwood’s only boys’ match by a score of 9-7. Sweeney lost in singles action, 4-8, while the duos of Shown/Mitchell and Gaston/Belue both lost, 4-8.