Buffs Tennis Makes a Racket of WAC

Cambry Hitchcock – Sugar Beet Staff Reporter

The Lady Buffs tennis team made a racket at the WAC tournament and state. Alexis Powell and Madison bellows, both seniors, play doubles together. Powell and Bellows placed first in the WAC tournament and fourth in regional sending them to state.

“We both played hard and had a very close game with Hays,” Powell said. “We won in a tie-breaker of eight to six. That put us in fourth place sending us to state.”

Powell and Bellows were ecstatic to qualify for the state tournament.

“We lost our first two games which eliminated us because the tournament is double elimination. We both are seniors so we gave it our all and play hard,” Powell said.

Taryn Tabor, junior, also made it to state in singles placing fifth at the home regionals tournament. The tennis team as a whole placed first in WAC.

“WAC was a very easy tournament for us we all played well,” Tabor said.

Sophomore Carson Linenberger had to play against her teammate Tabor in a singles match to determine who would be advancing on to state. Linenberger started strong beating Tabor two to six in the first match. Tabor came back strong beating Linenberger six to two and six to four in the final two sets of the match.

“State was a tough competition, but we all had a good time. We wish our whole team could have gone,” Tabor said.

Varsity Coach Rod Robinson was proud of the girls’ performance at WAC, regionals, and state.

“WAC was one of the best tournaments of our season,” Robinson said. “We won 14 out of 16 of our matches making us back to back WAC champs.”

Both of the Buffs doubles teams swept the division.

“Both of our singles girls only lost one out of four of their matches. We beat out Dodge, Hays, Great Bend and Liberal.”

The Buffs ended the day in first place scoring 14 points while second place finished with nine points.

“The girls got knocked out in two rounds of the state tournament,” Robinson said.

“The only one that had been to state before was Taryn Tabor, the other girls got a taste of what the teams from the East are like that play club tennis indoors year round.”

“Over all we did about how I expected. I thought we might have a chance because our doubles team was strong and Taryn always fights hard,” Robinson said.

Cambry is a health sophomore contact her at hitchcockc@student.gckschools.com