McLawhorn shakes off tough singles loss, helps Rams advance

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 22, 2008 1:46 PM

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SNOW HILL -- Lauren Carraway and Samantha Taylor watched in silence as Greene Central teammate Elizabeth McLawhorn struggled on court No. 1 on Tuesday afternoon.

McLawhorn couldn't establish a rhythm and managed to take just one game against Tarboro's Nellie Wilson.

"That was hard to see," said Carraway.

But McLawhorn simply forgot about the straight-set loss.

When she returned for her doubles match with Carraway, the two controlled the tempo from the opening serve. They earned the match-clinching point and the Rams dumped the Vikings 7-2 in their N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2-A dual-team affair on Tuesday evening.

Greene Central (18-3 overall) claimed its 46th playoff win in school history and entertains Cardinal Gibbons next Tuesday. First serve is 4 p.m. on the Snow Hill Tennis Complex courts.

The Mideast Regional champions, McLawhorn-Carraway improved to 23-3 overall this season with a 10-5 conquest of the Vikings' Wilson-Abigail Armstrong.

"I was pleased with the play of Elizabeth and Lauren today," said Rams head coach Donald Clark. "Tarboro did a great job of keeping us off balance with their lobbing, but the girls made the proper adjustments throughout the match.

"I was particularly pleased with the way Elizabeth came back from a tough singles loss to play so well, and so focused in doubles."

Carraway and Taylor battled for their respective singles point.

Tarboro's Bailey Proctor led Carraway 5-4 in the opening set before Carraway answered with a three-game, set-clinching rally. One of six underclassmen in the Rams' lineup, Carraway served a love game to close out the set.

Proctor and Carraway traded break points late in the second set with Carraway ahead 5-4. She served consecutive aces at 40-30 and on match point to cap the 7-5, 6-4 comeback.

"Bailey played well, and I expected to go out and have a good match with her," said Carraway. "That's what happened. But with Liz losing, you realize your team needs you and you have to fight for everything. In the end, the person who wants it more, gets it."

Taylor had the same mentality against Armstrong.

Trailing 2-0 in the opening set, Taylor smoked a game-winning shot down the line to pull within 2-1. The third-seeded junior won the next nine games before Armstrong could recover.

Armstrong pulled within 5-4 in the second set, but Taylor hung on for a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

"She just started hitting more consistent and hitting the ball more harder," said Taylor of Armstrong's second-set rally. "She was dragging me from corner to corner. I could tell she really wanted it bad.

"I think I played pretty well, but am sure there are some things I could have done better."

The Rams' Abby Sugg remained unbeaten in 21 singles matches this season with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Amber Clemmons. Teammate Jessica Gray turned back Morgan King 6-0, 6-2.

Greene Central, which has played in all 18 dual-team tournaments since the NCHSAA adopted the format in 1990, swept the doubles. Sugg-Taylor won 10-8, while Gray-Dail prevailed 10-4.

2008 N.C. High School

Athletic Association Class 2-A

Dual-Team Playoffs

(at Snow Hill Tennis Complex)

(3) Greene Central 7

(5) Tarboro High 2

Singles: No. 1 Nellie Wilson (T) d. Elizabeth McLawhorn 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 Lauren Carraway (GC) d. Bailey Proctor 7-5, 6-4; No. 3 Samantha Taylor (GC) d. Abigail Armstrong 6-2, 6-4; No. 4 Jessica Gray (GC) d. Morgan King 6-0, 6-2; No. 5 Abby Sugg (GC) d. Amber Clemmons 6-1, 6-1; No. 6 Maggie King (T) d. Abbey Dail 3-6, 6-4, 10-3.

Doubles: No. 1 McLawhorn-Carraway (GC) d. Wilson-Armstrong 10-5; No. 2 Taylor-Sugg (GC) d. Proctor-Clemmons 10-8; No. 3 Gray-Dail (GC) d. Mo. King-Jessey Waters 10-4.

Records: Greene Central 18-3, Tarboro 14-5