AKRON -ÊThe Manchester girls tennis team had a good chance of faring well in the Three Rivers Conference match Saturday at Tippecanoe Valley High School. However, the Squires passed on the opportunity for success at the conference tournament for something more important - the chance to pay their respects and attend a classmate's funeral.

Manchester student Heather Medley died May 3, and her funeral was held Saturday. Members of Manchester's tennis team elected to go to the funeral and forego competing in the Three Rivers Conference Tournament the same day.

But the Squires got back into the swing of things Monday night, traveling to Akron for a head-to-head TRC match with Tippecanoe Valley.

Manchester went home with a rain-shortened 3-0 win and kept its conference record untarnished at a perfect 3-0.

In the three matches that finihsed before the rain started, Manchester's singles players dominated.

In the first match to finish, Concetta DeFusco took on Valley's Allison Rock. DeFusco took the first set 6-1 before winning the second set 6-0.

"We had a totally different lineup in the singles matches today," said Valley coach Matt Craig. "(Allison Rock) played No. 1 singles, and although she lost she said she was starting to feel comfortable there. We have had some other girls play in that spot and they got nervous playing there."

The No. 2 singles match was the second to finish. Squire Courtney Ingold and Viking Ashley Clampitt faced off on the second court. Ingold took the first set 6-0, and then won the second set 6-1.

The No. 3 singles match was the last match to finish before the rain fell. Manchester's Abbey Keffaber topped Valley's Brooke Prater in straight sets 6-1, 6-0.

"I'm proud of our singles players," said Manchester coach Mark Heiden. "They played very well. All three of them picked up decisive wins over their opponents."

The doubles matches were ended due to rain and wet courts.

In the No. 1 doubles match, Valley's Carli Anglin and Karissa Fields faced off against Manchester's Kessie Karg and Aletta Vermuelen. Anglin and Fields won the first set, but the second set was stopped with Karg and Vermeulen in the lead 2-1.

Viking duo Andrea Kindig and Maribeth Martin took on Laura Hand and Anna Ferringer in the No. 2 doubles match. Hand and Ferringer won the first set 6-1, but Kindig and Martin were up 5-0 in the second set when the rain ended the contest.

The win improves Manchester's record to 5-4 overall and 3-0 in TRC play. Valley falls to 2-9 overall and 0-3 in the TRC.

MANCHESTER 3, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 0

Singles

No. 1 -ÊConcetta DeFusco (M) def. Allison Rock 6-1, 6-0

No. 2 -ÊCourtney Ingold (M) def. Ashley Clampitt 6-0, 6-1

No. 3 -ÊAbbey Keffaber (M) def. Brooke Prater 6-1, 6-0

Doubles

No. 1 -ÊCarli Anglin/Karissa Fields (V) vs. Kessie Karg/Aletta Vermuelen (M) ended for rain

No. 2 -ÊAndrea Kindig/Maribeth Martin (V) vs. Laura Hand/Anna Ferringer

JV - Manchester 2, Tippecanoe Valley 0

Singles

No.1 -ÊWhitney Wods (M) def. Krista Andrews 8-1

No. 2 -ÊDanielle Taylor (M) def. Sheena Reed 8-3 [[In-content Ad]]