published: Sunday, February 17, 2013

Lady Dragons, Streaks serve up wins

By DAN HOEHNE

daniel.hoehne@newssun.com

In girls tennis action earlier in the week, the Lady Blue Streaks had a dominant peformance Tuesday, getting seven match wins, while only giving up seven game losses, for a sweep of visiting Haines City.

Nisha Patel had just one game lost in her 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 1 Singles, while at Nos 2 and 3, Joy Donglasan and Kelly Broen cruised to 6-0, 6-0 wins.

Morgan Heston took two game losses, but still won easily at No. 4, 6-2, 6-0, and Micaela DeVane went 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5.

Patel and Donglasan kept it rolling with a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 Doubles, though Broen and Heston had the 'closest' match of the day at No 2. Doubles, winning 6-2, 6-1.

The Lady Dragons, stinging from their loss to Sebring the previous week, looked strong in a close, 4-3 loss to LaBelle Monday, but came back stronger with a win at Hardee Tuesday.

In Tuesday's match against the Cowgirls, the first three singles positions lost, before Jenna Blount got a win at No. 4, 6-3, 7-6.

Rachel Shattler came up just short at No. 5, winning the first set 6-3, losing the second 4-6 and then the tie-breaking third set, 3-6.

The doubles teams then both got wins as Hannah Waller and Stephanie Rodriguez paired up for an 8-3 win and Claire LeBlanc joined Blount for an 8-4 win.

The team then carried that late momentum into Tuesday's contest and cleaned up the Lady Wildcats.

Waller, Rodriguez, LaBlanc and Shattler picked up wins in singles and the doubles teams of Waller and Rodriguez, LeBlanc and Blount also rolled to wins.

At 4-1 after the Haines City win, the Lady Streaks host Okeechobee Tuesday before getting set to be the host of the Heartland Conference Tournament Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday starting at 9 a.m.

Lake Placid stands at 3-2 and hosts a rematch with LaBelle Tuesday before heading to the Heartland for the weekend.

The boys side of the Heartland tournament will be held at Avon Park and, like the girls, begin Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m.