Lady Squires Continue To Roll, Defeat Whitko 5-0 At Home
May 6, 2023 at 12:12 a.m.
Lady Squires Continue To Roll, Defeat Whitko 5-0 At Home
By Connor McCann-
“One of our team goals is to win the conference, which we haven’t done in a few years now,” Manchester head coach Joel Eichenauer said after the match. “We’ve always taken pride in beating opponents in our territory so this is a huge confidence booster for us.”
The No. 3 singles match was the first to conclude, with Manchester freshman Bethany Penrod putting up a dominant performance in her 6-2, 6-1 win over Whitko’s Jayda Gregory. Penrod was lights out serving the ball, wasting no time between deliveries and putting all of the pressure on her opponent.
“She has gotten so much better at controlling points and hitting spots over the last few matches,” Eichenauer said. “And this speaks to all of our girls but you have to play to your strengths as best you can and she did that tonight.”
The next two matches to finish were both of the doubles variety, with No. 1 doubles pairing Delani Henderson and Carleigh Blevins winning 6-0, 6-2. The victory was quickly followed up by the No. 2 pairing of Addison Brubaker and Ella Bradley picking up a 6-3, 6-0 win that would clinch the match for the Lady Squires.
“Big bounce back for our doubles teams after their losses to Huntington North earlier this week,” Eichenauer said. “I was proud of what they did today. I love coaching them but they’re so good at self-directing and figuring things out themselves and it’s a joy to watch.”
At this point of the evening, only two varsity singles matches remained. Lady Squire No. 2 Myla Crozier got off to a strong start against Whitko’s Anna Arter, winning the first match 6-2 before Arter made things interesting with a couple of timely victories in the second set. Eventually, Crozier would finish her match off with a second consecutive 6-2 win.
The only match that reached the three-set limit was the battle between Manchester No. 1 Sarah Kerlin and Whitko No. 1 Abbi Frank. Frank dominated the first set, winning it 6-1 and taking control of the match. Kerlin would not go away though, battling through the second set to win it 6-3 before dominating the third 6-0 to earn an impressive come-from-behind victory.
“I made a lot of unforced errors in the first set but I’m confident in my mindset and what I can accomplish,” Kerlin said after her match concluded. “I needed to make sure to be more consistent and eventually it started happening.”
“She was so great at making those in-match adjustments tonight, and that’s the sign of a great player,” Eichenauer said. “I’m incredibly proud of her performance tonight.
Both teams have the weekend off before returning to action Monday, with Whitko taking on Central Noble on the road and Manchester staying at home for a conference match against Tippecanoe Valley.
“This is a program to be proud of,” Eichenauer said. “If you haven’t seen them play, come out and watch.”
“One of our team goals is to win the conference, which we haven’t done in a few years now,” Manchester head coach Joel Eichenauer said after the match. “We’ve always taken pride in beating opponents in our territory so this is a huge confidence booster for us.”
The No. 3 singles match was the first to conclude, with Manchester freshman Bethany Penrod putting up a dominant performance in her 6-2, 6-1 win over Whitko’s Jayda Gregory. Penrod was lights out serving the ball, wasting no time between deliveries and putting all of the pressure on her opponent.
“She has gotten so much better at controlling points and hitting spots over the last few matches,” Eichenauer said. “And this speaks to all of our girls but you have to play to your strengths as best you can and she did that tonight.”
The next two matches to finish were both of the doubles variety, with No. 1 doubles pairing Delani Henderson and Carleigh Blevins winning 6-0, 6-2. The victory was quickly followed up by the No. 2 pairing of Addison Brubaker and Ella Bradley picking up a 6-3, 6-0 win that would clinch the match for the Lady Squires.
“Big bounce back for our doubles teams after their losses to Huntington North earlier this week,” Eichenauer said. “I was proud of what they did today. I love coaching them but they’re so good at self-directing and figuring things out themselves and it’s a joy to watch.”
At this point of the evening, only two varsity singles matches remained. Lady Squire No. 2 Myla Crozier got off to a strong start against Whitko’s Anna Arter, winning the first match 6-2 before Arter made things interesting with a couple of timely victories in the second set. Eventually, Crozier would finish her match off with a second consecutive 6-2 win.
The only match that reached the three-set limit was the battle between Manchester No. 1 Sarah Kerlin and Whitko No. 1 Abbi Frank. Frank dominated the first set, winning it 6-1 and taking control of the match. Kerlin would not go away though, battling through the second set to win it 6-3 before dominating the third 6-0 to earn an impressive come-from-behind victory.
“I made a lot of unforced errors in the first set but I’m confident in my mindset and what I can accomplish,” Kerlin said after her match concluded. “I needed to make sure to be more consistent and eventually it started happening.”
“She was so great at making those in-match adjustments tonight, and that’s the sign of a great player,” Eichenauer said. “I’m incredibly proud of her performance tonight.
Both teams have the weekend off before returning to action Monday, with Whitko taking on Central Noble on the road and Manchester staying at home for a conference match against Tippecanoe Valley.
“This is a program to be proud of,” Eichenauer said. “If you haven’t seen them play, come out and watch.”
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092