Maybe the Carson High girls tennis team should have been told its match began a half hour earlier than scheduled. Then the Senators may have been ready to start on time.
Carson couldn't overcome a huge deficit after the first round and ended up losing to South Tahoe 31-14 on Tuesday in a key Sierra League showdown at Centennial Park. South Tahoe wrapped up second place in the Sierra League and homecourt advantage in the first round of the zone playoffs.
The Senators lost a shot at a home match in the first round. Carson must now beat North Tahoe at home today to clinch third place in the Sierra League. If the Senators can beat North Tahoe, they would travel to face the High Desert League's No. 2 seed in the first round this Tuesday.
If Carson loses to North Tahoe, it would likely end up in fourt place in the Sierra League, meaning it would have to play Northern Nevada power Galena in the first round. On Tuesday, the Senators' fate was sealed when they fell behind 13-2 after the first round.
"I don't know if it's just nerves or we need to warm up," Carson coach Diane Roberts said. "We were just dragging the first round."
Roberts was pleased with her team's improved play over the last two rounds. "We really came around," she said. "We were playing better."
The match could have been more interesting had Carson pulled out two close matches in the first round. Lisa Midboe fell 4-6 in singles and Shannon Arnold and Shanni Eng lost 4-6 in doubles. Had Carson won those two matches, the Senators would have only trailed 8-7 after the first round.
Carson was still mathematically alive when it trailed 21-9 after two rounds. Again, the Senators may have been able to put a little more pressure on the Vikings had Simone Kuckenmeister and Amy Milholland been able to pull out a close match before losing 4-6.
Michelle Van Epps and Kelsey Joyce did win two matches in singles for Carson. Van Epps won 6-4, 6-4 and Joyce won 6-4, 6-3. Midboe suffered another tough loss in a tiebreaker 6-7 (3-7).
Carson's other two wins came in doubles as Amber Whitworth and Greta Schnaser won 6-4, 6-3. In exhibition matches, Hilary Schlager and Brittany Waltz won in a tiebreaker in doubles and Giorgia Tomba won 6-4 in singles.
Amanda and Elizabeth Gohr, Jenny Hood and Kirsti Philippi and Paige Miller and Elizabeth Gohr played well in doubles and Melissa Whitcome played well in singles.
SOUTH TAHOE BOYS 29, CARSON 16
South Tahoe boys also won the battle for second in the Sierra League as Carson settled for a third place finish, meaning it will play at the High Desert No. 2 seed in the first round of the playoffs this this Tuesday.
"Tahoe had a little better team," Carson coach Pat Houlihan said. "We just came up on the short end of a couple real close matches."
Bryt Lewis and Chris Wear swept their three matches in doubles and Tyler Lewis and Nathanial Hamer also won 6-4 in doubles. In singles, Ryan Dwyer won 6-2 and Josh Caron won 6-2 and suffered a tough 4-6 loss. Devon Anderson suffered a tough loss in a tiebreaker, 6-7 (4-7) as well.
