That was the case Thursday as Matthews defeated Chaparral’s
Shannon Daily in No. 1 singles action, helping the Eagles girls’
tennis team to a 7-0 Continental League win in Parker.
By By: Benn Farrell
It might take Heritage’s Claire Matthews a couple sets to find
her rhythm, but when she does, she can close a match.
That was the case Thursday as Matthews defeated Chaparral’s
Shannon Daily in No. 1 singles action, helping the Eagles girls’
tennis team to a 7-0 Continental League win in Parker.
The No. 1 singles match between Matthews and Daily was one of
two to go three sets in favor of Heritage.
“For me, it takes a set to warm up, especially when you’re on
the bus for a half-hour before you get to play,” Matthews said. “If
you lose the first set, it’s always a bummer, but you have two more
to win the match.”
Chaparral coach Ed Anderson knew the caliber of play Heritage
carries this season. He said his 2007 crop of young Wolverines have
to take such duals in stride.
“We just continue to play our game,” Anderson said. “We can’t
necessarily worry about what they’re going to do. We’re just
unbelievably young. … Along the way, we’re just going to have to
see matches as practices so we can get better and
better.”
Daily won the opening set of No. 1 singles 6-2, but Matthews
came back in the second to win 6-0.
“[Matthews] had jumped out early in that second set and began to
figure some things out,” Anderson said. “Shannon [Daily] got a
little tentative on her strokes, and then [Matthews] really used
that. … She played well off and on in that third set.”
Matthews said she had a strategy when she stepped out for the
third set, which she eventually won 6-2.
“I was trying to hit toward her backhand and come in,” she said.
“I was just thinking, Persist. You’ve got this. … When you’re out
there, one, it’s lonely, and two, it feels so long. You have to
mentally be stable, because it’s easy to freak out.”
The No. 2 doubles match also went three sets before Heritage’s
sister team of Izzy and Sophie Guerra defeated Carissa Travis and
Megan May. The Guerra sisters managed to book the win 6-2, 2-6,
6-2.
“I thought we got real aggressive in [No. 1] doubles, and I
thought we moved a lot better,” Anderson said. “We didn’t move
quite as well in the third set. There was a pivotal game at 2-all,
[which] we had a chance to break. We didn’t and then they got on a
little bit of a roll.”
Matthews said Heritage’s team chemistry and player support are
among the reasons opponents might see the Eagles as tough to beat
this season.
“The team is so close,” she said. “I really feel that this year.
I know my teammates are here to watch me, even if [my match] is
three hours long.”
The Wolverines put a notch in their win column March 13 after
beating Rock Canyon 6-1 at home. Katelyn Ortt won a close No. 2
singles match for the Wolverines against Canyon’s Jennifer
Prusse.
Heritage faced Gateway March 13 and swept the Olympians 7-0. The
Eagles’ Erin Dorfman and Kelsey Bartling won the No. 1 and No. 2
singles matches, respectively, while Lindsay Seim and Brooke
Stuhlman won the No. 1 doubles.