Coaches tend to fret a bit when their team’s top player is out of action.
Gardendale girls tennis coach Whitney Olive was a little apprehensive on Thursday, facing a good Shades Valley team without her normal top player, Taylor Lindsey, who was sidelined with a suspected problem with a disc in her vertebrae.
As it turned out, Olive need not have worried, as her Rockets came through with a 7-2 win at Moncrief Park.
The Mounties were facing the same problem, as their regular top player was also out with an injury.
Sarah Schaefers, who normally plays in the second slot in the singles order, moved up to No. 1 and blanked the Mounties’ Kelsey Creel 8-0.
Schaefers teamed up with Lauren Hall as the top doubles pair, and easily handled Creel and Emily Higgins 8-1.
The Rockets’ only losses came in the bottom spot of singles and doubles, where Olive had to move up players who don’t normally see much match time.
The Rockets take on top-ranked Vestavia Hills in sectional play on Tuesday.
Match results:
S-1: Sarah Schaefers (G) def. Kelsey Creel (SV) 8-0. S-2: Lauren Hall (G) def. Emily Higgins (SV) 8-4. S-3: Julie Parker (G) def. Jade Stewart (SV) 8-1. S-4: Morgan Brown (G) def. Whitney Hill (SV) 8-5. S-5: Ema Hill (G) def. Andrea Hutton (SV) 8-6. S-6: Raven Hatcher (SV) def. Katie Huett (G) 8-0.
D-1: Schaefers-Hall (G) def. Creel-Higgins (SV) 8-1. D-2: Parker- Brown (G) def. Hatcher-Hill (SV) 8-6. D-3: Skarts-Hutler (SV) def. Hill-Jessieca Bostic (G) 8-3.
BOYS TENNIS
Shades Valley 8, Gardendale 1: Austin Henley scored the Rockets’ sole win at No. 3 singles, defeating Joel Fuller 8-2 on Thursday at the Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club.
Match results:
S-1: Duncan Miller (SV) def. Nathan Sheffield (G) 8-0. S-2: Blayze Jones (SV) def. Jason Guthrie (G) 8-2. S-3: Austin Henley (G) def. Joel Fuller (SV) 8-2. S-4: Trey Sides (SV) def. Andrew Graber (G) 8-2. S-5: Tyler Bland (SV) def. Grant Thrailkill (G) 8-3. S-6: Nate Bell (SV) def. Josh Mayfield (G) 8-4.
D-1: Miller-Bland (SV) def. Sheffield-Guthrie (G) 8-3. D-2: Jones-Phu Ngyuen (SV) def. Henley-Graber (G) 9-7. D-3: Sides-Will Gatewood (SV) def. Thrailkill-Blake Harris (G) 8-0.
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Related Photos
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Gardendale’s Sarah Schaefers returns a serve from Kelsey Creel of Shades Valley during her No. 1 doubles match with partner Lauren Hall. Schaefers and Hall won 8-0. Robert Carter
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