The Fort Mill girls’ tennis team’s season came to an abrupt end Tuesday night in the second round of the 5A state tennis playoffs.
In their first loss of the year, the Jackets fell to Spartanburg 4-2, who has seemed to have Fort Mill’s number on the tennis courts in recent years, ending their season with a 15-1 record overall.
Fort Mill won two matches at No. 1 singles with the Jackets’ Ana Pallath winning 6-4, 6-1 and then at No. 3 singles with Madison McCarty winning 2-6, 6-2, 10-6 in a third set tiebreaker. The Jackets fell in No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 singles matches, as well as No. 2 doubles.
In the No. 2 singles match, Aashi Pallath for Fort Mill went to a third set tie breaker falling 7-6, 4-6, 0-1. Fort Mill’s No. 4 singles Katie Pierson and No. 5 singles Rachel Thompson both fell in straight sets, as did No. 2 doubles team of Clara Lake and Kate Hill.
In the 4A state playoffs, Catawba Ridge cruised through Irmo 5-1 to move to the third round and improve to 14-3 overall. The Copperheads will now take on AC Flora Wednesday at home at 5 p.m. in the next round.
All five wins for Catawba Ridge came in singles play and in straight sets as well. Winning for the Copperheads were No. 1 singles Sarah Taylor 6-0, 6-2; No. 2 singles Claire Hivner 6-2, 6-0; No. 3 singles Aiyana Uter 6-1, 6-3; No. 4 singles Sara Maleady 6-1, 6-3 and No. 5 Lilly L’esperance 6-1, 6-2.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
