WCDS launches defense of tennis title with shutout of University Christian

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 30, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Wayne Country Day head tennis coach Blake Vail tucked his pen behind his ear and called his players away from the bleachers for a pre-match meeting.

The talk didn't last long.

"I just told them this was the start of the run we had been working for all year," Vail said. "We had to take it one match at a time. (I said) they just needed to go out and play hard, and take care of business."

The Chargers did in dominating fashion.

Wayne Country Day, the two-time defending state champion, controlled the tempo from the opening serve and rolled past University Christian, 9-0, in quarterfinal-round play of the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A girls' dual-team tennis playoffs Thursday afternoon.

The top-seeded Chargers (15-1 overall) faced Northeast Academy earlier this afternoon in semifinal-round play at Barton College in Wilson. The two teams met in the first round last season.

Ridgecroft and once-beaten Kerr-Vance Academy met in the other semifinal.

"I thought we played really good for the most part," said Vail, whose team earned its 10th shutout of the season. "I thought we looked a tad rusty because we hadn't been able to practice the past couple of days with all of the rain."

The Chargers' tandem of Langley Barnes-Margaux Pope started a string of three consecutive 8-0 results in doubles play with a victory over the Barracudas' third-seeded duo of Amelia Sisson-Meg Venderusiak.

Soon afterwards, second-seeded Ally Willman-Eliza Eagles and top-seeded Gianna Democko-Jennifer Potts each collected a doubles point.

WCDS led 3-0.

Democko, Potts and Eagles each scored a straight-set 6-0, 6-0 win in singles. Willman and Barnes, seeded third and fifth, respectively, each dropped a game in the opening set.

Sixth-seeded Margaux Pope battled through a shaky first set and knocked off Venderusiak 6-4, 6-0.

"She's been dealing with an eye infection and wearing glasses, and she was struggling to adjust," Vail said. "Once she settled down, she started to cruise and looked more like herself in the second set, so that was nice."