Chargers blank Rams
Published 10:36 am Tuesday, August 23, 2016
GOLDSBORO – Winning just six games of their three doubles matches, a young Ridgecroft School tennis team found themselves outmatched here by Wayne Country Day School as the Lady Chargers went on to post a 9-0 win.
It was the first match of the season for both schools. Ridgecroft opens the season at 0-1.
Coach Elton Winslow’s young Lady Rams tennis team began the year facing the three-time defending independent schools state champion. | File Photo
Holly Robertson and doubles partner Rachel Bernette fought valiantly before succumbing to the WCDS number-three doubles team, 8-5, while hoping to help Ridgecroft avoid the shutout.
In singles, Mary Grace Gilliam took two-seed Ally Willmon to a tiebreaker in the first set before falling 7-5. Willmon captured the second set 6-1.
The Chargers took all six singles matches to complete the sweep.
“(They are) the defending state champions and from top to bottom they have very good players,” said Rams coach Elton Winslow. “Hopefully we learned a lot about ourselves and what we have to work on.”
Ridgecroft opened the home portion of their season Friday at the Rose Tennis Complex at Chowan University by hosting Faith Christian School, followed by a match against Greenfield School on Monday.
Wayne Country Day, the Rams, and Northeast Academy, were all in last season’s 1A tennis Final Four along with state runner-up, Kerr-Vance Academy. With a pair of veteran squads, both the Rams and Eagles hope to make a return to the finals again this season.
