Spring Creek secures playoff victory in doubles

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 26, 2011 1:48 PM

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SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek's tennis players expected to receive a customary pre-match speech from head coach Beverly Boltinhouse.

They couldn't believe their ears.

Boltinhouse said "this might be your last senior game."

Silence followed for a brief second.

"We're not done," quipped one player.

She was right.

Spring Creek swept the doubles courts and eliminated Lejeune, 6-3, from the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A dual-team playoffs Tuesday afternoon. The Gators (10-1 overall) play host to Carolina 12 runner-up Raleigh Charter next Tuesday.

"The thing that pleased me the most about this afternoon was that they were all happy, were enjoying playing ... all of them," said Boltinhouse. "The girls who had lost at regionals, they wanted to win, wanted to continue playing. The ones who lost in singles (today) came back and won in doubles."

The teams finished singles tied at 3-3.

Third-seeded Katlyn Casey, fifth-seeded Jordan Cook and sixth-seeded Brittany Carmack each emerged victorious for the Gators. Carmack rallied from a 4-1 second-set deficit to turn back the Devilpups' Brigid Detreux 6-4, 7-5.

The No. 1 tandem of Emily Daniel-Heather Frey rebounded for a 10-5 decision in doubles after Lejeune revamped its lineup. The Devilpups' No. 1 seed, Kristen O'Brien, re-aggravated a back injury she suffered during last week's eastern regionals and spent the remainder of the match stretched out in her parents' truck.

Daniel-Frey dumped Cait Cobb-Katherine Bradley 10-5.

Finlay-Carmack won the final nine games and rolled past Detreux-Cassie Thompson 10-1 at the No. 3 slot. Teammates Casey-Cook needed four match points over a two-game span to defeat Leah Fitzgerald-Maggie Donovan 10-5 at No. 2.

Spring Creek claimed its first playoff win since 2008 and just its sixth triumph overall in program history.

"We played today like we have been playing the whole season," said Boltinhouse. "At regionals, it was more individual and this (today) was team. No one wanted to let their teammate down and I think even the ones who lost in singles, they were focused on how everyone else did so the team can advance.

"They're a team."

And, they're not done.