General netters third at tournament

  • By Brian Questel of the Wooster Weekly News
  • October 12, 2009
  • 933
                        
Third place may not seem like much to write home about, but sometimes it is a step in the right direction. The Wooster High School (WHS) tennis team, which finished third in the OCC tournament and secured third overall in the OCC, placed behind seven-time defending champion Lexington (64 points) and runner-up West Holmes (40) in the tournament. For a team that had to replace six seniors from its lineup from a year ago, its 37-point performance was a satisfying and promising finish. “We had a good season,” said WHS coach Stan Burris. “We lost six seniors who were part of our rotation (a year ago), so we had a lot of new people. They stepped up, and we returned everyone but our second singles player, and I hope we can build on that.” That second-singles player is senior Lindsay Doerr, who compiled a record of 8-13 overall and 3-4 in the OCC. With a veteran cast returning, Burris is looking for a solid showing and a move up in the OCC next season. One reason is the play of Wooster’s double’s squads, which both finished runner-up in the OCC tournament, and a third-place finish from first singles player Sami Murphy. “They came to win,” said Burris. “Our first and second doubles teams both had solid first sets with Lexington, and if we had been a little lucky maybe we could have gotten by West Holmes.” Juniors Emma Fiorita and Emily Haight, who have combined to go 13-9 so far this year, dropped a 6-3, 6-1 victory at first singles in the championship round, while junior Olivia Lottes and sophomore Kara Dagley (14-7 overall) dropped a tough 7-5, 6-1 decision in their match. Murphy, who is 13-10, finished third in singles play. That bracket was highlighted by West Holmes’ Rachel Nelson, who won Player of the Year honors, as she became the first non-Lexington player in OCC history to win a league title. Freshman Claire Ballard, who had never played the sport before this season, was 6-10 as Wooster’s No. 3 player, despite her lack of experience. With all of those players coming back, Burris has no reason not to look forward to next year. “Sami will be back and she gained a year’s experience,” said Burris. “She has to learn to step it up a bit more, but she has the talent and hopefully she will be even better next year. “We have a bunch of talented juniors and promising sophomores and freshmen,” he added. “We have to keep the ball rolling in the offseason and keep working. That’s the key. “We’re 9-9 with a match to play against Cloverleaf … and then sectionals. We play a tough schedule, so that’s a solid record. We have to be careful not to be satisfied because we are on the brink of doing some things and making a run. Lexington is always tough and West Holmes has Rachel Nelson back, but we have some kids returning as well. I’m optimistic.”


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