It's always sweet for seniors when they can beat their arch rival.
But when a senior class beats its rival for the first time, it's especially sweet. That was the case for the seniors on Carson High's girls tennis team after the Senators beat Douglas 25-20 on Tuesday at Centennial Park.
For Carson's five seniors -- Natalie Rogers, Jenae Jeppson, Aaren Porteur, Staci Cobler and Katie Elverum -- it was their first win in the four years they've been at Carson against Douglas. It was made that much sweeter for the five seniors since all of them contributed to the win.
"It's always good to beat our rival," Carson coach Diane Baker said.
Carson received a lift in the first round when Natalie Rogers was able to beat Melissa Oglesby 6-4 in a showdown between the two teams' No. 1 players. Oglesby advanced to the state championships last year.
The match was tied 4-4 when Rogers broke Oglesby's serve and went on to hold for the win. "That was huge for Rogers," Baker said.
Carson led 10-5 after the first round, but Douglas was able to close to within 12-10 when the turning point of the match came. The Senators were able to win three matches -- all of which could have gone either way -- to pull away for a 20-10 lead.
Cobler and Jeppson were tied with Allison Rosingus and Kristin Valentine 5-5 before pulling out a 7-5 win. Simone Kuckenmeister and Amber Whitworth were able to beat the Tigers' Christina Milner and Priscella Sells 6-4 and Carson's Kelsey Joyce beat Christina Keegan 6-4. Also providing key wins in the first round for Carson were Porteur and Whitworth, who beat Rosingus and Valentine 6-4 and Elverum and Emily Ortiz who won 6-3.
Cobler and Shannon Arnold clinched the match with a 6-0 win in the third round. Baker is still experimenting with her doubles.
"We have some depth and we're still trying to figure out who's playing with whom," Baker said.
Rogers went on to sweep her matches, winning 6-1, 6-2. For Douglas, its No. 1 doubles team of Jae Hamzik and Dominique Pacheco swept 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.
Baker said she was pleased with Elverum and Ortiz in a 3-6 loss to Hamzik and Pacheco.
"My first seed doubles are just playing wonderfully," Douglas coach Gail Wilcox said.
Oglesby went on to win her other matches 6-2, 6-1 and Nikki Villoria also won two-of-three for Douglas, winning 6-1, 6-2. Michelle Van Epps won 6-1 for Carson.
"They did real well," said Wilcox about her team. "It's not losing to Carson, it's losing at any time. I don't like to lose at any time. But it was good competition."
In exhibition matches, Carson's Brittany Waltz won 6-3, the Tigers' Lani Herrera and Mandy Moore beat Jenni Hood and Kristi Phillipi 6-1 and Herrera and Moore defeated Hilary Schlager and Cassidy Trapp 6-0.
BOYS
Douglas 33, Carson 12
Tyler Coats, Josh Sorich and Jeremy Henningsen combined to sweep the singles matches as the Tigers defeated the Senators at Lampe Park.
Carson picked up two wins from its No. 2 doubles team of Justin Menesini and Nick Rebholtz (6-1, 6-1) and they lost 6-3 to the Tigers' No. 1 team. Josh Caron and Todd Correll won once (6-1), as did the team of Bryt Lewis and Tyler Lewis (6-1). Nick Smallman and Jeff Van Epps played once and dropped a 6-3 decision.
The Carson boys host North Valleys Thursday at Centennial Park.
