Cardinal Newman’s Andrea Martin stretches for a backhand against Hammond’s Lilie Jane Hudson. Photos by Jim Marczesky Maia Blackmon and Kate Tringali won a very tight doubles match to lead Cardinal Newman past Hammond 5–4 in ladies’ tennis on Tuesday, September 29 at Trenholm Park.

On a gorgeous, breezy afternoon, the two teams took to the courts in a battle for second in Region I–AAA behind Heathwood Hall. The feature matchup was between Hammond senior Layna Plyler and Cardinal Newman sophomore Alex August. The #1 players traded service breaks back and forth in the first set before Plyler broke August for the fourth time to take the set 7–5. Using a strong net game, Plyler then dominated the second set, winning 6–2.

The closest match in singles came from the #5 players, as Cardinal Newman’s Ali Black came back from one set down to defeat Elizabeth Stuckey. The teams split the singles matches, with Madelon Kneece and Caroline Harris joining Plyler as winners for Hammond (4–6, 4–4), while Andrea Martin and Blackmon won their matches for the Cardinals.

CN’s Maia Blackmon serves against Hammond’s Brooks Burnside. In the doubles matches, August and Martin won #1 doubles for Cardinal Newman (6–1, 5–1), while Stuckey and Harris won #3 for the Skyhawks. All eyes then focused on the #2 match, where Blackmon and Tringali were locked in a duel with Lilie Jane Hudson and Brooks Burnside. The Cardinals won the first set 6–4, but the Skyhawks took a 5–2 lead in the second set. The Cardinals broke Hammond’s serve to force the set to a tiebreaker, and then went up a mini-break in that game, but the Skyhawks summoned up the resolve to break back and then go on to win the tiebreaker 7–5, forcing the third set race to 10. Hammond took a quick 5–2 lead, then 6–4, before Cardinal Newman won the last six points to take the set and the match.

Hammond’s Layna Plyler serves against CN’s Alex August. Singles: Layna Plyler (H) d. Alex August, 7–5, 6–2; Andrea Martin (CN) d. Lilie Jane Hudson (H), 6–1, 6–0; Maia Blackmon (CN) d. Brooks Burnside (H), 7–5, 6–2; Madelon Kneece (H) d. Kate Tringali (CN), 6–1, 6–1; Ali Black (CN) d. Elizabeth Stuckey (H), 2–6, 6–3, 1–0 (10–6); Caroline Harris (H) d. Leila Heidari (CN), 6–1, 6–2. Doubles: August/Martin (CN) d. Plyler/Kneece (H), 6–3, 6–1; Blackmon/Tringali (CN) d. Hudson/Burnside, 6–4, 6–7 (5–7), 1–0 (10–6); Stuckey/Harris (H) d. Black/ Heidari, 6–4, 6–2.