Heathwood Hall No. 1 Mary Frances Iseman lunges for a backhand in her match against Ben Lippen’s Waverly Price.
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In a match that featured a rain delay, two third set tiebreakers, unbearable humidity, and a biblical swarm of gnats, the Heathwood Hall Highlanders came out on top beating Ben Lippen 5-1 in SCISA Region I-4A girls tennis action Tuesday, September 6.
“Sometimes you just have to grind a little bit, and sometimes you have to play against all your conditions,” Heathwood Hall head coach Nick Gaffos of the weather and the insects.
The match got off to an inauspicious start as Ben Lippen’s Sloan Calcutt was forced to retire due to an injury at No. 6 singles giving Julia Claire Cooke the win and Heathwood a 1-0 lead.
Highlander No. 3 Abby Mullins put Heathwood up 2-0 as she built a 4-1 first set lead before the rain delay, and then finished off the match beating Mary Heyward Hardy 6-2, 6-0.
Ben Lippen No. 4 Eden Hester took her first set against Sophie Hughes 6-0, but Hughes battled back to grab the second set 6-2 forcing the first of the third set tiebreakers. The tiebreak stood at 5-5 before Hester won the next five points to win the match and cut the Ben Lippen deficit to 2-1.
Ben Lippen No. 4 Eden Hester returns a serve in her match against Heathwood Hall’s Sophie Hughes.
Adair Wood then gave Heathwood a 3-1 cushion downing Ben Lippen No. 5 Sarah Anne Hardy 6-1, 6-1.
Heathwood Hall No. 1 Mary Frances Iseman was down 4-1 in the first set to Waverly Price but fought back to get within 4-3 before the rain delay. She then came back to win it 6-4. Waverly almost returned the favor in the second set falling behind 4-1 before battling back to grab a 5-4 edge. However, Iseman regained control taking the next three games to win the set 7-5 and give the Highlanders a 4-1 advantage.
That left No. 2 singles where Heathwood’s Maddie Clary grabbed the first set over Mary Grace Gabriel 6-2. Gabriel came back to win the second set 6-4 getting the last point on a backhand slice volley. After some confusion with the score, the two fought to a 6- 6 tie in the third set tiebreaker. Clary then took the next four points to win 10-6 and give the Highlanders the deciding fifth win.
“It’s always good to pull out some three set matches especially after a break,” Gaffos said referring to the Labor Day holiday and the rain. “I’m happy with the way they competed. They always compete hard and play till the end.”
The doubles action that followed singles play was largely ceremonial as the outcome was already decided. Both coaches mixed in lower seeded players and players off ladder.
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