The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Saline battles at SEC, readies for state
Hornets tie for league runner-up, want fifth or better at state finals
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 29, 2008
On paper, the addition of state defending champion Ann Arbor Huron to the Southeastern Conference Red division was supposed to knock the Saline girls' tennis team down a peg in the league table.
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But on the eve of the 2008 state tournament, the Hornets have shown that they aren't going anywhere, battling Huron to a virtual draw at the May 20 SEC Red tournament and tying the Rats for runner-up in the league standings behind champion Pioneer.
"We went 4-4 against Huron head-to-head, with a couple of wins in doubles we hadn't gotten against them earlier this year," said head coach Andy BeDell. "That was a good sign as we get ready for state."
The state tournament begins Friday in Midland, where the Hornets will be gunning to equal or even better their fifth-place finish of a year ago.
BeDell believes the Hornets are positioned to do just that.
"We played well at SECs and we didn't get any horrible draws," he said. "Hopefully we can win all our first-round matches and give ourselves some momentum. We think we can pick up points in every flight. Everybody's playing well. We're definitely going to be ready."
While admitting it's "not easy" to win any match at state much less all eight of the first round — and several more, if the goal of a top-five finish is to be met — BeDell said that the team's experience at the 2006 state meet should be helpful.
"The girls that went last time know the ropes," he said, a group that includes all four singles players and five doubles players. "It's not quite a carnival atmosphere, but there's a lot going on. It's chaotic. But we should be able to focus on what we have to do."
The Hornets also will go on with confidence after their performance at the SEC meet. Bethany French led the way for the Hornets with a title at second singles, winning over Bedford 6-1, 6-3, Pioneer 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, and over Huron 6-4, 6-4.
Casey Baxter added two points at third singles, defeating Huron 6-0, 6-1 and Bedford 6-0, 6-1. At No. 1 singles, Niki Shipman downed Bedford 6-0, 6-1 but lost a hard-fought match against Pioneer 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 and then to Huron 1-6, 0-6. Fourth singles player Kelli Tice likewise took a point from Bedford 6-1, 6-2 and nearly won a set against Huron before falling 2-6, 5-7, but lost to Pioneer 3-6, 0-6.
In doubles play, No. 1 team Sarah Cowen and Megan Geiger defeated Huron in three sets, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, avenging earlier losses to the Rats. They also defeated Bedford 6-1, 6-2 after falling to Pioneer 6-1, 6-0.
Second doubles team Sarah Sidlow and Kate Woolliscroft matched the win over Huron with 6-2, 6-4 win of their own. They lost 0-6, 4-6 to Pioneer but downed Bedford 6-2, 6-0. Saline's No. 3 team of Meranda Vogt and Shanna Cooper and their No. 4 team of Dayani Waas and Julie Blackhall each earned a point with wins over Bedford, Vogt and Cooper 6-2, 6-0 and Waas and Blackhall 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. Neither took a set off Pioneer or Huron.
Saline finished the day a point behind Huron in the tourney standings with 14 to the Rats' 15. Pioneer finished with 21 to cement their league title.
"Those wins at first and second doubles against Huron were big for us, and Bethany really came through as well," BeDell said. "We've seen a lot of improvement and we're looking forward to proving that at state."
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