Manchester Netters Blank Wawasee
August 14, 2018 at 3:54 p.m.
By Aaron [email protected]
Seven seniors propelled the Manchester boys tennis team to a 5-0, season-opening victory over the host Wawasee Warriors.
“I figured that, with the seven seniors leading the way, the confidence level would be high and that we’d come in strong,” said Manchester coach Calvin Sellers. “So I was glad to see that everybody played well and brought their ‘A’ games.”
The Squires dominated most of their matches, but faced tough competition at No. 2 singles.
Wawasee’s Graham Perek held a 5-4 lead in the first set before Manchester’s Spence Trick won back-to-back games for the 6-5 edge.
Perek responded by taking a 40-love lead, just one volley from evening the score.
That’s when Trick got his mind right.
“I’m just thinking, ‘I’ve got to keep some balls in,’” Trick said. “I hadn’t been hitting anything all night yet, so I was just like, smooth it out, block back serves if I had to, and just keep it in play. Then I started to feel my swing out and started hitting shots.”
Trick closed out the first set, 7-5, before taking the next set 6-1 for the individual match victory.
“I finally just started feeling comfortable again,” he said. “It was all rust the first set, and then I started feeling it and hitting shots, and I pulled it out.”
Manchester’s Luke Donathan won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, while Quinn Martin earned a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at three-singles.
The No. 1 doubles team of Kyle Shepherd and Brady Wiley won 6-1, 6-0 for the Squires, while Logan Parrett and Kamdyn Lester also won 6-1, 6-0 at two-doubles.
Wawasee coach Shane Staley pointed to a lack of execution as the reason for the loss.
“There were a lot of unforced errors,” Staley said. “(We) got to clean it up early in the season.”
Staley also noted that Wawasee’s No. 2 doubles team consisted of untested freshmen.
Blaine Baut and Jeb Richey stepped into starting roles for the Warriors after multiple varsity players couldn’t play because they hadn’t met the 10-practice requirement to compete.
“That was kind of a shock to them at first, but it’s good experience for them,” Staley said.
Staley expects the Warriors (0-1) to return to full capacity by Wednesday’s match against Lakeland.
Sellers is excited to see the Squires build on a stellar start.
“I look forward to seeing how they continue to improve and work together, doubles especially,” he said. “I think we have a good season ahead of us.”
MANCHESTER 5, WAWASEE 0
Singles: No. 1 – Luke Donathan (M) def. Zach Leedy (W) 6-2, 6-2; No. 2 – Spence Trick (M) def. Graham Perek (W) 7-5, 6-1; No. 3 – Quinn Martin (M) def. Zeke Keim (W) 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles: No. 1 – Kyle Shepherd & Brady Wiley (M) def. Jacob Krugman & Clayton Firestone (W) 6-1, 6-0; No. 2 – Logan Parrett & Kamdyn Lester (M) def. Blaine Baut & Jeb Richey (W) 6-1, 6-0.
Records: Manchester 1-0 Wawasee 0-1
Seven seniors propelled the Manchester boys tennis team to a 5-0, season-opening victory over the host Wawasee Warriors.
“I figured that, with the seven seniors leading the way, the confidence level would be high and that we’d come in strong,” said Manchester coach Calvin Sellers. “So I was glad to see that everybody played well and brought their ‘A’ games.”
The Squires dominated most of their matches, but faced tough competition at No. 2 singles.
Wawasee’s Graham Perek held a 5-4 lead in the first set before Manchester’s Spence Trick won back-to-back games for the 6-5 edge.
Perek responded by taking a 40-love lead, just one volley from evening the score.
That’s when Trick got his mind right.
“I’m just thinking, ‘I’ve got to keep some balls in,’” Trick said. “I hadn’t been hitting anything all night yet, so I was just like, smooth it out, block back serves if I had to, and just keep it in play. Then I started to feel my swing out and started hitting shots.”
Trick closed out the first set, 7-5, before taking the next set 6-1 for the individual match victory.
“I finally just started feeling comfortable again,” he said. “It was all rust the first set, and then I started feeling it and hitting shots, and I pulled it out.”
Manchester’s Luke Donathan won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, while Quinn Martin earned a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at three-singles.
The No. 1 doubles team of Kyle Shepherd and Brady Wiley won 6-1, 6-0 for the Squires, while Logan Parrett and Kamdyn Lester also won 6-1, 6-0 at two-doubles.
Wawasee coach Shane Staley pointed to a lack of execution as the reason for the loss.
“There were a lot of unforced errors,” Staley said. “(We) got to clean it up early in the season.”
Staley also noted that Wawasee’s No. 2 doubles team consisted of untested freshmen.
Blaine Baut and Jeb Richey stepped into starting roles for the Warriors after multiple varsity players couldn’t play because they hadn’t met the 10-practice requirement to compete.
“That was kind of a shock to them at first, but it’s good experience for them,” Staley said.
Staley expects the Warriors (0-1) to return to full capacity by Wednesday’s match against Lakeland.
Sellers is excited to see the Squires build on a stellar start.
“I look forward to seeing how they continue to improve and work together, doubles especially,” he said. “I think we have a good season ahead of us.”
MANCHESTER 5, WAWASEE 0
Singles: No. 1 – Luke Donathan (M) def. Zach Leedy (W) 6-2, 6-2; No. 2 – Spence Trick (M) def. Graham Perek (W) 7-5, 6-1; No. 3 – Quinn Martin (M) def. Zeke Keim (W) 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles: No. 1 – Kyle Shepherd & Brady Wiley (M) def. Jacob Krugman & Clayton Firestone (W) 6-1, 6-0; No. 2 – Logan Parrett & Kamdyn Lester (M) def. Blaine Baut & Jeb Richey (W) 6-1, 6-0.
Records: Manchester 1-0 Wawasee 0-1
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