Colquitt sweeps Tift County in tennis

Published 8:39 am Friday, March 2, 2018

MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County boys tennis team won its fourth straight match after opening the season with four losses in a row, defeating Tift County 3-2 on Thursday at Packer Park.

The girls completed the windy sweep, blanking the Lady Devils 5-0.

The Packers got a win by Chris Rogers at No. 2 singles and then swept at doubles with Nathan Corley and Alyn Herndon taking care of business at No. 1 and Aaron Long and John Melvin Herndon following suit at No. 2.

“The wind had an effect on the match, but it affected both teams,” 

coach Mell Wier said. “Some of them handled it better than others.

“We are finally getting to where we need to be. We are doing what we need to be doing to start putting people away.”

The Packers also won at Cook High on Wednesday, blanking the Hornets 5-0.

All five matches were straight set wins, with Hayden Holloway playing No. 1 singles; Chris Rogers playing No. 2 singles; and Carlos Fuller playing No. 3 singles At No. 1 doubles were Alyn Herndon and Nathan Corley.  Playing No. 2 doubles were Aaron Long and John Melvin Herndon.

The Colquitt County boys will open play in the two-day Wildcat Invitational today in Valdosta with a first-round match against Lee County.

Two of the Colquitt County girls’ five wins over Tift County on Thursday came after the Lady Packers dropped the first set.

Bella Underwood, at No. 1, was one of them. After she fell 4-6 in the first set, she rallied to win 6-4, 10-4.

The No. 1 doubles team of Emma Kate Whatley and Beylee Roberts lost the first set 1-6, but made some adjustments and dominated the final two sets, 6-1, 6-2.

Also winning for the Lady Packers were Sydney Wheeler at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 6-3; Anna Marie Saunders at No. 3 singles, 6-0, 6-2; and Annabelle Roberts and Karli Yarbrough at No. 2 doubles 6-3, 6-1.

In an extra match, Anna Beth Elliott won 8-0.

The Lady Packers also won 5-0 when they travel to Adel on Wednesday.

Underwood won at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-3; Wheeler battled through to win at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-6, 7-3; Saunders won at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-4; Whatley and Beylee Roberts won at No. 1 doubles, 6-2, 7-5; and Yarbrough and Annabelle Roberts had little trouble at No. 2 doubles, winning 6-0, 6-3.

The Lady Packers, now 5-3 this season, will meet Northside of Columbus at 3:30 p.m. today in their opening match in the Wildcat Invitational.