Prep Tennis: Lady Panthers lock up team title (05/15)

By GREG CREWS gcrews@thenewsenterprise.com ELIZABETHTOWN — It didn’t take a calculator for the Elizabethtown Lady Panthers to figure out they had locked up the team title in the girls’ 5th Region Tennis Tournament on Wednesday. Each of Elizabethtown’s four entries won a pair of matches at the University Drive Park Tennis Courts to set up an all-Elizabethtown final in singles as well as in doubles. “It’s a very nice feeling,” Elizabethtown coach Andrea Atcher said. “I felt all year like we had a really good team, and today we got a really great surprise from our No. 2 doubles team.” The Lady Panthers’ No. 2 doubles team of Emily DuPlessis and Lexy Hazle (seeded sixth) started the day by topping LaRue County’s No. 3 seed, Shelby Haun and Michelle Seymour, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Then, in the final match of the evening they battled past the No. 2 seed out of Marion County, Jane Spalding and Leah Mattingly, 6-7 (0-7), 6-1, 6-1. “I think we played the best we’ve ever played all season,” Hazle said. “All the things we have learned throughout the season, we really put them together to beat the 2 and the 3 seed.” On the opposite side of the bracket, Elizabethtown’s top-seeded doubles team of Jessica Maxwell and Lydia Youngblood topped LaRue County’s Hannah Canter and Nancy Howell (No. 7 seed) in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 6-0. In the semifinals they defeated Central Hardin’s Paige Berger and Kaitlin Blair (No. 5), 6-2, 6-4. Maxwell and Youngblood will face their teammates at 5 p.m. today in the finals. “It feels really good (to be back in the finals). Last year, I kind of missed it,” said Maxwell, who has now qualified for State three consecutive years with three different partners. “We played really well today, every time we got down we picked it up and got with it.” On the singles side, it is a pretty familiar picture for the Lady Panthers. For the second consecutive year, Amanda Young and Jenna Sallee made it through a tough field to meet in the finals. The two have also met in the finals of the past two conference tournaments. “I think playing your teammate is definitely one of the hardest things to do, especially for me, because Jenna and I have been playing together all season,” Young said. “I’m going to try to do my best and I know that Jenna is going to do her best, and regardless of who wins we are all winners, we are all going to State.” Sallee was dominant in her two matches Wednesday, losing only two games all day as she topped John Hardin’s Megan Edlin (No. 6) in the quarterfinals, 6-1, 6-0, before defeating LaRue County’s Kristyn Brey (No. 4), 6-0, 6-1. “Oh my gosh, it feels really good,” Sallee said of making it back to the finals. “I just thought this year would be so bad, and I think I did good on my way to get here.” Young reached the finals by downing Nelson County’s Morgan Stine (No. 5), 6-2, 6-0 and LaRue County’s Maggie Russell (No. 3) in the semifinals, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2. Young, a senior, will appear in the region finals for the sixth straight year, making her first three trips as a doubles player before making the last three playing singles. “Maggie played excellent. ee I was up 4-1, but she fought back to a tie-breaker. It wasn’t until the tie-breaker that it hit me that this could be my last match,” Young said. “It feels really good, but kind of bittersweet, because I have had the fortune to be in the finals since seventh grade and this year will be my last. But I am excited to make it back to the finals.” In other quarterfinal matches: Russell defeated Campbellsville’s Meredith Haley (No. 7), 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3. Brey defeated Central Hardin’s Stacie Wallace (No. 8), 6-1, 6-3. Greg Crews can be reached at 505-1754

Neal Cardin

Elizabethtown's Amanda Young watches the ball as she returns a shot during her quarterfinal match against Nelson County's Morgan Steine. Young won the match 6-2, 6-0.

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