NCHSAA tennis -- Batts battles at championships

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on October 30, 2005 2:11 AM

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BURLINGTON -- Charles B. Aycock's Raychel Batts advanced out of the first round of the Class 3-A N.C. High School Athletic Association tennis championships with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Southern Alamance's Rosemary Downing, before falling falling 7-5, 6-3 to Belmont South Point's Lauren Sessoms in the quarterfinals on Friday.

"Sessoms was a super player. She's one of the better players I've seen in recent years," Aycock coach Luke Vail said. "She hits everything with two hands off both sides and hits it hard. It was good tennis with those two. The biggest difference was she kept Raychel on the run. Raychel stepped up and played as well as she could.

"I've got no complaints, I thought the effort was outstanding."

In Friday's doubles action, the Golden Falcon tandem of Nicole Taylor-Lizzie Sodoma got out of the first round with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Laura Holman-Keri Holman (West Rowan). In the quarterfinals, Taylor-Sodoma battled against Jamestown Ragsdale's Nadia Crutchfield-Kiara Crutchfield, then suffered a 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 loss.

"We had match point twice in the second set. They went back-and-forth in the third set and couldn't quite get over the hump," Vail said. "We played very well. It was a nice run for them, especially since they were our No. 2 doubles team. We lost to a good regional champion."

Batts, Taylor and Sodoma will continue their season on Thursday against Wilson Fike in the third round of the dual-team playoffs. The match will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Mount Olive College.

Class 2-A

Two GC teams

in final four

CARY -- Hollyn Alberghini and Emily Morton of West Stanly, the number-three seeds, downed fourth-seeded Christi Murphy and Ashley Harrell of Greene Central for the doubles championship by a 6-0, 6-4 count.

All four of the top seeds in doubles had marched into the morning semifinals, but the top two seeds were upended in the semis, with Greene Central's top-seeded pair of Meredith Rouse and Brittany Horton falling to Alberghini and Morton, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The second-seeded Shelby team of Betsy Martin and Erin Mode was ousted by Murphy and Harrell 7-6 (4), 6-3.

On Friday, Rouse-Horton defeated Casey Duncan and Christina Collins (Salisbury) 6-2, 6-1 in the first round, before dropping Katherine Pardue and Shana Spencer of Boonville Starmount 6-0, 6-1.

Murphy-Harrell got out of the first round with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Sarah Brown and Laura Rollins of Wilkes Central. Then, the Greene Central tandem dropped Anna Winslow and Sara Lilley of Pasquotank 6-0, 6-0 to advance to the semifinals.

Class 1-A

Smith advances

to semifinals;

Brantham out

in quarterfinals

CARY -- Spring Creek's Stacy Smith claimed a 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-4 win in the quarterfinals over Albemarle's Brittany Sanges, then was ousted from the Class 1-A N.C. High School Athletic Association tennis championships in the semifinal round by Kernersville Bishop McGuiness' Maggie Ronan 6-1, 6-1 on Friday.

In quarterfinal action, Rosewood's Kayce Brantham fell to North Stokes' Kasey Mabe 6-2, 6-1.

On Saturday, Mabe repeated as the singles champion with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Ronan.