This past Thursday, April 8, the varsity tennis girls were able to play against Scottsbluff and Gering at home. This was very exciting, for it was the only match for varsity held in Alliance this season. This Triangular was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 6, but was postponed due to weather conditions. 

Unlike many years before, there are only 13 girls out for tennis this year. Of those 13, 6 of them are on the varsity team. These players are – in order from top to bottom – Payten Gibson, Kelsey Horton, Courtney Cox, Karlie Jensen, Haley Weare and Brooklyn Branstiter. Gibson made the decision to play singles this season, making her the number one singles player on the team. Horton and Cox paired together to be the number one doubles team. Jensen was up next to choose if she wanted to play singles or doubles, and she chose singles, making her the number two singles player. This left Weare and Branstiter to be the number two doubles team. All of these girls competed well against Scottsbluff and Gering. 

This year, the Lady Bulldogs have no returning varsity players. The team has two members with junior varsity experience – Gibson and Branstiter, and the remaining four are playing for their first year – Horton, Cox, Jensen and Weare. This to some comes as a shock, but the girls always bring their best attitudes and are ready to show what they have been working on. 

At tennis triangulars, every girl plays two doubles matches and two singles matches. Because of this, Gibson and Jensen paired up to make a doubles team. For Weare and I, being doubles partners, we had to break up to play our singles matches. This is oftentimes difficult for players to do because they have adjusted to sharing the court with a fellow team member. This was difficult for Alliance’s doubles teams. 

For this triangular, Weare and I won one of our matches 8-5, and lost one 5-8. We both fought hard and worked together to the best of our abilities. I then went off to play my singles matches. I won both of these matches: one scoring 9-7, and one 8-2. This to me was a very big accomplishment. I, along with many of the other girls, have pushed forward during this year to show up to every competition with a good attitude and as much talent and skill as we are capable of showing. 

The SPUD is proud of the girls for how they competed at home, and are ready to see how the girls play out their season. Good luck to each of the girls!!