Lady Tiger Cubs fall to Knights

Friday, May 21, 2010

GREENCASTLE -- Northview and Greencastle's girls' tennis teams didn't get the opportunity to square off during the regular season, as rain canceled their only slated meeting during the Northview Invitational. However, the two teams put on quite a show in a taut battle that came down to the final match at No. 2 doubles.

The Knights and Tiger Cubs split the first four matches of their sectional semifinal as Northview got wins at No. 1 singles from Hannah Pond over Katie Farris and at No. 1 doubles as Briana Cook and Lauren Reberger claimed the victory.

However, Greencastle came up with a decisive win at No. 2 singles with Kate Babington scoring a 6-2, 6-1 win over the Knights' Kaci Kehrt. In the No. 3 singles match, the Tiger Cubs' Emalie McClain held off a valiant comeback bid by Conner Reinoehl to take a 6-1, 6-4 decision.

So the match came down to No. 2 doubles, where Northview's Carli Coughanowr and Lizzie Emmert claimed the first set 7-6 (7-3) over Greencastle's Harriet Watson and Nicole Boyle. The Northview duo then came up big in the second set, leading 4-3 and then getting a number of big shots from both Emmert and Coughanowr to claim the advancing victory in a 3-2 team win.

"Carli (Coughanowr) and Lizzie (Emmert) had the pressure on them that it was 2-2 (match score) and they pulled it out," Northview coach Emily Goff said. "Neither one of them acted nervous and they put it away."

The doubles team fell behind in the first set by a 5-4 score, but rallied to go ahead 6-5 before Watson and Boyle were able to knot the first set score at 6-all and force the tiebreaker. Coughanowr and Emmert pulled out that victory and rode the momentum into the second set where they went ahead 3-2 and 4-3 before picking up the victory in front of a large crowd.

Pond's victory at No. 1 singles was also a key decision for the Knights as she fell behind 3-2 in the first set before winning the next two points to take a 4-3 advantage. Holding serve for the match at 5-4, Pond double-faulted twice and twice faced a potential tie score before she rallied back during a long rally to claim the final point.

In the second set, Pond rode the confidence from her first set victory to an eventual, 6-1, 6-1 victory.

"Hannah (Pond) had a nice match in her second set," Goff said. "She played hard and got to everything and actually hit the ball tonight. She looked good."

The Knights' No. 1 doubles team had little trouble in their match, leading 4-1 before Katie Collins and Lauren Kenney came back to get within 4-3. From there however, Reberger and Cook ran off the next two points for a one-set advantage and they claimed a 6-2 decision in the next set to set the stage for the No. 2 doubles battle.

"Our No. 1 doubles are playing well together," Goff complimented. "They are doing a great job of communicating and playing hard. They are both great athletes and are playing great."

After the tense, hard fought battle held at DePauw University's indoor facility, Goff felt that the match-up would help the Knights in a re-match against Owen Valley.

"This is definitely going to get us ready for (tonight) against Owen Valley," Goff said of the title match. "We'll be ready to play them."

At DePauw

Northview Sectional Semifinal

Northview 3, Greencastle 2

Singles

No. 1: Pond (Nv) def. Farris (GC), 6-4, 6-1

No. 2: Babington (GC) def. Kehrt (Nv), 6-2, 6-1

No. 3: McClain (GC) def. Reinoehl (Nv), 6-4, 6-4

Doubles

No. 1: Reberger & Cook (Nv) def. Collins & Kenney (GC), 6-3, 6-2

No. 2: Emmert & Coughanowr (Nv) def. Watson & Boyle (GC), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3