Lanesville reaches tennis final, falls to New Albany

Lanesville took a crack at New Albany in the girls’ tennis New Albany Sectional championship match Thursday.
The Lady Eagles picked up a win at No. 3 singles with a three-set win by Skyler Blank, but, as a team, New Albany pulled out the title 4-1.
Blank dropped the opening set 6-2 to Allie Lambert but then turned her game around. In a competitive second set, Blank won 7-5 to force a third. Keeping the momentum, Blank cruised 6-1 for the win.
New Albany, meanwhile, didn’t have much trouble in the top two singles matches. Ashley Fulmer defeated Ivy Cooke 6-1, 6-2 at No. 1, while Daisy Dukes dropped Hailee Parsons 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2.
Top doubles action saw Lanesville’s Abby Wright and Lanna Shaffer force a second-set tie-breaker after falling in the first set 6-2. In the tie-breaker, New Albany’s Megha Dhanapal and Emily Yellina jumped ahead and won 7-2.
At No. 2 doubles, New Albany’s Emily Flener and Sarah Vanlsenberg posted a pair of 6-0 sets to end the season for Adalee Ingle and Emma Peele.
To reach the sectional championship, New Albany narrowly defeated Christian Academy of Indiana 3-2 while Lanesville scored a 4-1 victory over Corydon Central.
Singles players for Lanesville closed with straight set triumphs, led by Cooke’s quick 6-0, 6-1 work of Corydon Central’s Jenna Price.
Parsons had to hold off Ashlyn Crawford at No. 2 singles to win 6-2, 6-3. Blank, setting up a perfect 2-0 record during sectional play, topped Corydon Central’s Macey Capelle 6-0, 6-3.
In doubles action, Wright/Shaffer posted 6-0, 6-1 scores to bring down Grace Gusler and Annie Blumenstock.
Corydon Central’s lone win came at No. 2 doubles. Emily Hollingsworth and Sara Hastings needed three sets (6-3, 2-6, 6-4) to outlast Ingle/Peele.
The Lady Eagles entered the postseason on a roll, placing first in the four-team Eastern (Pekin) Invitational the previous weekend. Top finishes were had by Cooke (No. 1 singles), Blank (No. 3 singles) and the tandem of Wright/Shaffer (No. 1 doubles).
Lady Rebels bow out at Creek
South Central was able to pick off several games against host Silver Creek across the courts featuring singles action last Wednesday. At No. 1 singles, Alexis Knear scored a first-set win. In the end, Silver Creek girls’ tennis proved too strong, defeating South Central 5-0 in the opening round of the Silver Creek Sectional.
Even play at No. 1 singles between Knear and Silver Creek’s Ashley Less led to a first-set tie-breaker. Knear pulled out the opener 7-5 in the pressure points. Less improved play during the next two sets, winning 6-2, 6-0.
Meghan Voight gave Silver Creek a win at No. 2 singles over Brooklyn Woertz. After giving up the first set 6-2, Woertz battled in the second before falling 7-5.
The No. 3 spot was won by Silver Creek’s Elaine Slavik 6-2, 6-4 against South Central’s Whitney McCoy.
Doubles tilted to Silver Creek on both courts. Chloie Yost and Morgan Bobo won 6-1, 6-0 over Maddy Brashear and Issabelle Temple. Picking up a 6-0, 6-2 win for the advancing Lady Dragons at No. 2 doubles was Alexis Boone and Zoie Zimmerman over South Central’s Josie Faith/Gracie Riley.