COURTLAND—The Southampton Academy girls tennis team extended its winning streak to three matches in a row with wins over Surry High School, 8-1, and Tidewater Academy, 5-4, said Southampton Academy head tennis coach Jack Schwolow.

In the Surry match on April 11, SA’s Lady Raider Kirsten Wachsmann picked up her first singles win of the season with an 8-1 win over Heaven Blevins on the Cougars’ home courts. Wachsmann also teamed with Rachel White for an 8-3 victory at No. 1 doubles over Diamond Barham and Vondala Saunders. Elena Litman made her varsity line-up debut at No. 2 doubles with Selena Johnson. They fell to the team of Cierra Anthony and Bria Gholston, 5-8.

 

Singles

Barclay Gatten (SA) d. Diamond Barham (SHS), 8-0;

Olivia Fox (SA) d. Vondala Saunders (SHS), 8-0;

Kirsten Wachsmann (SA) d. Heaven Blevins (SHS), 8-1;

Mina Johnson (SA) d. Cierra Anthony (SHS), 8-6;

Rachel White (SA) d. Bria Gholston (SHS), 8-1;

Selena Johnson (SA) won by default.

 

Doubles

Wachsmann/White (SA) d. Dandridge/Hull (SHS), 8-3;

Anthony/Gholston (SHS) d. Litman/S. Johnson (SA), 8-5;

Gatten/Fox (SA) d. Tami Elder/Toni Elder (SHS), 8-0 exhibition

 

Against Tidewater, which defeated SA earlier in the season 6-3, the Lady Raiders jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on April 16 with what Schwolow called “convincing wins,” by Barclay Gatten and Olivia Fox at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions over Casey Richards and Brooke O’Gara.

Dana Clements cut the lead to 2-1 with a win over Kirsten Wachsmann at No. 3 to put the Warriors on the board. SA’s Mina Johnson fought back from a 2-4 deficit to win her match 6-4 at No. 4 over Abby Malcolm to increase the lead to 3-1. At No. 5, Rachel White fought back from a 3-5, triple match-point deficit before falling to Sarah Seward in a tiebreaker, 6-7(5). Tidewater tied the score at 3-3 heading into the doubles when Lauren Vaughan defeated Selena Johnson 6-2 at No. 6 singles.

In doubles, SA’s No. 1 team of Gatten/Fox had an impressive win over Richards/O’Gara, 6-0 to regain the lead, 4-3, Schwolow said. Tidewater’s Clements/Malcolm defeated Wachsmann/M. Johnson 6-2 at No. 2 doubles to tie the score at 4-4. Like the Fuqua match the week before for the Lady Raiders, the match rested on the shoulders of Rachel White and Selena Johnson. After trading games with Seward/Vaughan to 5-5, the SA duo pulled away for a 7-5 win, clinching the match and a 5-4 Lady Raider overall win.

 

Singles

Barclay Gatten (SA) d. Casey Richards (TA), 6-1; Olivia Fox (SA) d. Brooke O’Gara (TA), 6-0; Dana Clements (TA) d. Kirsten Wachsmann (SA), 6-1; Mina Johnson (SA) d. Abby Malcolm (TA), 6-4; Sarah Seward (TA) d. Rachel White (SA), 6-7(5); Lauren Vaughan (TA) d. Selena Johnson, 6-2

Doubles

Gatten/Fox (SA) d. Richards/O’Gara (TA), 6-0;

Clements/Malcolm (TA) d. Wachsmann/M. Johnson (SA), 6-2;

White/S. Johnson (SA) d. Seward/Vaughan (TA), 7-5.

The Lady Raiders returned to action with their last non-conference match of the season with Surry High School on Thursday and conclude the conference regular season by hosting conference leader, Blessed Sacrament Huguenot for Senior Day at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, on the courts at Cypress Cove Country Club.