Greenfield fences in Northern Nash 7-2 in Wilson Cup opener
Luisa Lee of Greenfield races in to hit a backhand during her match at No. 2 singles Monday in Wilson Cup first-round action against Northern Nash at Laura Leslie Crudup Tennis Complex. Greenfield won 7-2.
By Jimmy Lewis
jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter
JimmyLewisWT
These days, rare is the Greenfield School girls tennis player who arrives for her first varsity match with nary a point of prior experience.
With five of six starters back in the lineup and the flexibility to attempt different doubles combinations, the Lady Knights opened the 2021 season Monday afternoon in the Wilson Cup by ambushing a Northern Nash lineup that was without the services of North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A singles semifinalist Chloe Harrington in a 7-2 victory at Laura Leslie Crudup Tennis Complex.
The season opener for both teams sends Greenfield into Wednesday’s 4 p.m. semifinal against Greene Central, while The Big East 2-A/3-A Conference’s Northern Nash, a 3-A member is sent into a losers bracket encounter with former conference foe Hunt. Greene Central coasted by the Lady Warriors 9-0 in other first-round action Monday.
Charles B. Aycock and Rocky Mount Faith Christian had their first-round match at Barton Tennis Complex suspended due to inclement weather, with the plan to resume Tuesday. All singles matches were in the first set when the rain hit.
Greenfield, a 1-A member of the split 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, supplemented its five returning varsity singles starters with a freshman in Mattie Metts at No. 6, up from the junior varsity ranks. Further calling upon the JV seasoning, Forbes Good was inserted as a substitute at No. 1 doubles and teamed with Libby Eagles to roll to a clinching 8-1 win over Northern Nash’s Lisa Dees-Taylor McIntyre, giving Greenfield a victory over a team that won the 3-A Big East title in the COVID-19-shortened season prior to NCHSAA realignment.
The prescience to insert Good into doubles play once Greenfield established a 4-2 lead after singles came to head coach Robin Morrison after observing her volleying prowess in limited practice.
“I pretty much knew instinctively that she would make a solid teammate with Libby,” Morrison said of Good. “So everybody kind of bumping up and not having Ryann (Jennings) here, I didn’t really know how well we would perform. So I was impressed, and we’ve only had about five practices since we started August 2nd. I haven’t had a full squad out here. So today was really the first day that they’ve been out playing doubles.”
Greenfield, coming off a season where it reached the NCISAA 1-A semifinals, reached the precipice of clinching with wins from Luisa Lee at No. 2, Anna Grace Beddingfield at No. 4, Maya Genge at No. 5 and Metts in the No. 6 hole. The shorthanded Northern Nash lineup played directly into Greenfield’s hands, with Lee and Metts prevailing by 6-0, 6-0 margins.
“We played pretty well,” Lee said. “Especially since summer practices are difficult with people not making schedules. I’m happy with what we did. My serve was working well, and I was just out there moving.”
Before darkness settled over the Greenfield campus, the hosts completed a sweep of doubles with matching 8-6 outcomes at the No. 2 and 3 spots. Lee-Genge and Metts-Beddingfield provided the impetus at the two and three positions, respectively.
Beddingfield withstood a first-set tiebreaker from Taylor McIntyre before securing a 7-6, 6-3 decision.
“They know how to stroke,” Morrison said. “They know how to hit the ball. There’s great development there.”
Greenfield’s lineup entering Wednesday’s semifinal is likely to change in both singles and doubles.
“It’s great to have the confidence,” Morrison said. “But I’ve gone into the Wilson Cup, winning your first round and having a nightmare of a second round. So you really never know. I don’t know that I’ll keep the players where I have them, and the doubles lineup very well could change. “But I was happy with what I saw today. They take direction very well, and that’s just strictly the years they’ve been playing and what they put in. The growth really shows.”
GREENFIELD 7, NORTHERN NASH 2
Lisa Dees (NN) def. Libby Eagles 6-1, 6-1; Luisa Lee (GFS) def. Lauren Milligan 6-0, 6-0; Frenchesca Miller (NN) def. Mae Pridgen 6-2, 7-6(2), Anna Grace Beddingfield (GFS) def. Taylor McIntyre 7-6. 6-3; Maya Genge (GFS) def. Phoebe Atkins 6-2, 6-1; Mattie Metts (GFS) def. Chelsea Lamm 6-0, 6-0.
Eagles-Good (GFS) def. Dees-McIntyre 8-1; Lee-Genge (GFS) def. Miller-Atkins 8-6; Metts-Beddingfield (GFS) def. 8-6.
Luisa Lee of Greenfield races in to hit a backhand during her match at No. 2 singles Monday in Wilson Cup first-round action against Northern Nash at Laura Leslie Crudup Tennis Complex. Greenfield won 7-2.
By Jimmy Lewis
jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter
JimmyLewisWTThese days, rare is the Greenfield School girls tennis player who arrives for her first varsity match with nary a point of prior experience.
With five of six starters back in the lineup and the flexibility to attempt different doubles combinations, the Lady Knights opened the 2021 season Monday afternoon in the Wilson Cup by ambushing a Northern Nash lineup that was without the services of North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A singles semifinalist Chloe Harrington in a 7-2 victory at Laura Leslie Crudup Tennis Complex.
The season opener for both teams sends Greenfield into Wednesday’s 4 p.m. semifinal against Greene Central, while The Big East 2-A/3-A Conference’s Northern Nash, a 3-A member is sent into a losers bracket encounter with former conference foe Hunt. Greene Central coasted by the Lady Warriors 9-0 in other first-round action Monday.
Charles B. Aycock and Rocky Mount Faith Christian had their first-round match at Barton Tennis Complex suspended due to inclement weather, with the plan to resume Tuesday. All singles matches were in the first set when the rain hit.
Greenfield, a 1-A member of the split 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, supplemented its five returning varsity singles starters with a freshman in Mattie Metts at No. 6, up from the junior varsity ranks. Further calling upon the JV seasoning, Forbes Good was inserted as a substitute at No. 1 doubles and teamed with Libby Eagles to roll to a clinching 8-1 win over Northern Nash’s Lisa Dees-Taylor McIntyre, giving Greenfield a victory over a team that won the 3-A Big East title in the COVID-19-shortened season prior to NCHSAA realignment.
The prescience to insert Good into doubles play once Greenfield established a 4-2 lead after singles came to head coach Robin Morrison after observing her volleying prowess in limited practice.
“I pretty much knew instinctively that she would make a solid teammate with Libby,” Morrison said of Good. “So everybody kind of bumping up and not having Ryann (Jennings) here, I didn’t really know how well we would perform. So I was impressed, and we’ve only had about five practices since we started August 2nd. I haven’t had a full squad out here. So today was really the first day that they’ve been out playing doubles.”
Greenfield, coming off a season where it reached the NCISAA 1-A semifinals, reached the precipice of clinching with wins from Luisa Lee at No. 2, Anna Grace Beddingfield at No. 4, Maya Genge at No. 5 and Metts in the No. 6 hole. The shorthanded Northern Nash lineup played directly into Greenfield’s hands, with Lee and Metts prevailing by 6-0, 6-0 margins.
“We played pretty well,” Lee said. “Especially since summer practices are difficult with people not making schedules. I’m happy with what we did. My serve was working well, and I was just out there moving.”
Before darkness settled over the Greenfield campus, the hosts completed a sweep of doubles with matching 8-6 outcomes at the No. 2 and 3 spots. Lee-Genge and Metts-Beddingfield provided the impetus at the two and three positions, respectively.
Beddingfield withstood a first-set tiebreaker from Taylor McIntyre before securing a 7-6, 6-3 decision.
“They know how to stroke,” Morrison said. “They know how to hit the ball. There’s great development there.”
Greenfield’s lineup entering Wednesday’s semifinal is likely to change in both singles and doubles.
“It’s great to have the confidence,” Morrison said. “But I’ve gone into the Wilson Cup, winning your first round and having a nightmare of a second round. So you really never know. I don’t know that I’ll keep the players where I have them, and the doubles lineup very well could change. “But I was happy with what I saw today. They take direction very well, and that’s just strictly the years they’ve been playing and what they put in. The growth really shows.”
GREENFIELD 7, NORTHERN NASH 2
Lisa Dees (NN) def. Libby Eagles 6-1, 6-1; Luisa Lee (GFS) def. Lauren Milligan 6-0, 6-0; Frenchesca Miller (NN) def. Mae Pridgen 6-2, 7-6(2), Anna Grace Beddingfield (GFS) def. Taylor McIntyre 7-6. 6-3; Maya Genge (GFS) def. Phoebe Atkins 6-2, 6-1; Mattie Metts (GFS) def. Chelsea Lamm 6-0, 6-0.
Eagles-Good (GFS) def. Dees-McIntyre 8-1; Lee-Genge (GFS) def. Miller-Atkins 8-6; Metts-Beddingfield (GFS) def. 8-6.
