Nevada varsity, Fort Scott JV win duals

Although the Fort Scott High School varsity tennis team was defeated by Nevada, 8-1, in a dual Tuesday, Fort Scott head coach Lynn Barr felt that the outcome showed the progress the girls have made this season and prepares them for Saturday's Southeast Kansas League Tournament at Chanute, which starts bright and early at 8 a.m.

"This was a good final match for us going into the SEK Tournament this weekend," Barr said. "We faced a strong opponent, which I understand has only lost two dual matches this season, and played some solid tennis against them. The girls are continuing to show improvement, this match being an example of their improvement since last season. In the past, the matches with Nevada haven't been close. Last year we only won a total of 11 games in the nine varsity matches compared to 37 this season. We were still only able to get the one win, but we played them much closer than we have in many, many years. The girls should be really proud of their efforts in these matches."

The junior varsity was playing for the final time this season and went out on a high note, winning seven of 11 matches played.

The only varsity winner was second-year senior Bailee Hall, who was playing her first varsity singles match. She defeated Alexa Cubbage in a tie-breakeer, 8-7 (7-4), in the No. 6 singles match.

Michelle Buntain, a doubles player, played her first singles match of the season and fell in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (7-1), in the No. 3 match to Leah Creasy.

In No. 1's, Taylor Bailey (5-16) lost to Katlyn Short 8-2. Kalia Dancy (2-6) fell in No. 2's to Katie Brauer, 8-0. Corina Harrison, also a doubles player, lost the No. 4 singles match to Regan Kimbrough, 8-4. Ashlyn Baugher (2-2) lost to Ashley McKinley, 8-4, in the No. 5 match.

In doubles, Buntain and Harrison (15-9 as a team) fell to Short and Brauer, 8-5, in No. 1's. Dancy and Courtney Crain (4-5) lost to Creasy and Kimbrough, 8-1, in No. 2's. And Bailey and Heather Hobbs, playing together for the first time, fell to McKinley and Cubbage, 8-6.

There were seven singles and four doubles matches in JV play. Hannah Messer defeated Nevada's Brandi Perrin in No. 1 singles, 6-2. Krista Hightower beat Lauren Phillips in a tiebreaker in No. 2's, 6-5 (7-3).

Brittany Burns lost to Jessica DeCocq in No. 3 singles, 6-3. Sammi Carr fell to Franziska Heidgen in the No. 4 match, 6-2.

Kandice Rost beat Emma Smith in No. 5's, 6-5 (8-6). Jasmine Davis defeated Kierstin Lanham, 6-0, in 6's. And Becky Lemke was defeated by Abby Scopas in No. 7's, 6-0.

Doubles play saw Baugher and Hall beat Perrin and Phillips in No. 1's, 6-2. Messer and Hightower downed DeCocq and Heidgen, 6-4, in No. 2's. Burns and Carr lost to Smith and Haley Edwards in the No. 3 match, 6-2. And Rost and Davis beat Lanham and Scoppas, 6-4, in the No. 4 match.

"This was a nice way to end the JV season," Barr said. "These girls have shown improvement this season. It has been a great opportunity for them to get to play a lot this season and get valuable match experience, and learn how to compete and how to win."