Baylor School’s Marco Mandic hits an overhead finishing out the point while playing with teammate Ethan Palisoc in the #2 Doubles matchup against Ensworth at home on May 16.
Girls Preparatory School’s Michelle Fleenor returns a backhand while playing in the #1 singles matchup against Ensworth at Baylor School on May 16.Kevin Nguyen and Carl Phillips had a pretty rough beginning to their week, losing in the Region 3-A/AA tennis doubles championship match after holding a one-set lead. The week ended a lot better for them, though.
The Hixson duo played a big role in earning the Wildcats’ first-ever trip to Spring Fling, as their 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles clinched a 4-2 team victory over Signal Mountain.
The Wildcats (14-3) held a 3-2 edge after singles with wins from Alex Condra, Richard Vuong and Nguyen, meaning they needed only one win in two doubles matches.
“We came in knowing that we were going to have to fight for the win, and we didn’t want to give up any points,” said Nguyen, the team’s lone senior. “Carl and I used Monday as a learning experience and learned from our mistakes from that day.”
Hixson coach Raul Fernandez focused his attention on singles during the week, and it paid off with the three wins. Due to Signal having to play a Thursday match against Murfreesboro Central Magnet for the Region 4 title, the Wildcats didn’t even know their opponent until around 9 p.m. Thursday.