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MURFREESBORO – A dominating performance by Ridgecroft School here Tuesday has advanced the Lady Rams to the championship match of the 2023 North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Dual Team Tennis Tournament.

Ridgecroft – who has already bagged the regular season and tournament titles within the Tarheel Independent Conference – is the top-seeded team in the state tournament. In the state finals they will face second-seeded Cape Fear Christian Academy at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28 at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount.

To gain a spot in the state finals, Ridgecroft tangled once again with conference rival Lawrence Academy in Tuesday’s semifinals held at the Rose Family Tennis Complex on the campus of Chowan University. There, Ridgecroft claimed a 5-0 win.

The Lady Rams swept the three doubles matches as follows:

#1 Belle Turner / Kate Chamblee defeated Addie Phelps / Lucy Spruill (8-6);

#2 Molly Brown / Karley Jo Rose defeated Olivia Tynch / Laura Beth Bryant (8-1); and

#3 Elizabeth Brown / Sydney Jones defeated Abigail Tynch / Sarah Corey (8-1).

In singles play, fourth-seeded Molly Brown collected a 6-0, 6-0 win over Laura Beth Bryant while sixth-seeded Annie Batts was also a straight set winner (6-0, 6-1) over Sarah Corey.

Those five combined wins gave the overall edge to Ridgecroft, prompting an end to the other four singles matches which were underway.