Lady Hurricanes rise to 15-0 in tennis after sweeping Rhea County

Tennis tile
Tennis tile

East Hamilton's tennis Lady Hurricanes swept Rhea County in six singles and three double matches Tuesday and now boast a 15-0 team record to go with an 89-4 record for their top six singles players.

Three of the Lady Hurricanes' top six are freshmen. Despite the youth, the only real challenge Tuesday was when No. 2 player Sydney Dattilo rallied from a 7-5 deficit to win 9-7.

Coach Michael Jackson said he can't take much credit for the good times, but Rhea's coach of 29 years, Lil Andrews, heaped praise on him.

"Cleveland used to be king (in District 5-AAA), and a lot of different ones have risen to the top. I feel like this team is more consistently - all the way down through the team - stronger than most," Andrews said. "These girls are great.

"He's probably taken a lot of good talent that has come to him with a lot of good background and pulled them into a team to where they are playing for him, for each other, in addition to playing for themselves."

The lineup is packed with talent and diverse in personalities and styles, their coach said. But all the girls believe hard work, including extra individual practices, have led to winning.

Hannah Datillo is East Hamilton's No. 1 singles player. She didn't start playing tennis until the eighth grade, but she worked up to No. 1 and won the district singles crown as a freshman.

"That doesn't happen," Jackson said. "She's once in a lifetime, probably. I've been 13 years total in tennis, and she's probably the only one I'll ever have like that. She's hard-working, a great team player, super supportive."

Now as a senior, Hannah also managed to be named Miss EHS, prom queen and class president. This fall, she will play tennis and study engineering at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.

"We've been really good the past four years. This year, we beat Soddy-Daisy twice," Hannah said. "For this season, I think we definitely will go to state as a team. "

Hannah's sister Sydney capably holds down the No. 2 singles spot as a freshman. Unlike her ultra-social older sister, Sydney is a little quieter but hits a vicious forehand.

"She could kill a man with it," Hannah said of Sydney's shot.

No. 3 singles player Meghan Gallups said the team has thrived because "we all kind of learn from each other and pick up on what each other are doing. It's been a really good experience. I'm not ready for Hannah to leave us yet. She's kind of the support of the team. We're all so into it. It just makes us all better."

Jackson said Gallups' success is vital because the "number three is kind of a crucial spot. You need to have three or four girls you can count on to win pretty much every day to go far in the postseason. That's what we're hoping for this year. And she's super solid and she doesn't need a lot of coaching during a match."

No. 4 singles player Avalon Langley, another freshman, knows much of her team's wins have come because "even on days that we don't have practice, I bet 50 percent of our team is hitting." Coach Jackson said Langley "just goes out there and wins. She's a bundle of energy - happy all the time. She's all about being on a tennis court somewhere."

Audree Duncan is a strong performer at No. 5 singles and has teamed with Allyson Dunavent to go undefeated at No. 3 doubles. Duncan was sick Wednesday but was still right there supporting her teammates.

Another freshman, Madeline Benson, a former cheerleader, fills the No. 6 singles spot.

The Datillo sisters are 15-0 at No. 1 doubles, while Gallups and Langley are 13-2 at No. 2.

"I think as long as we keep humble and keep our heads, we will do well," Langley said. "From here on out, we will probably see people closer to our abilities. And so it will just be a matter of putting that hard work to use."

Contact Jeff Rancudo at sports@timesfreepress.com.

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