Marble Falls team tennis gears up for playoffs

CAPTION: Chloe Taylor fought back from being down in the first set to winning in straight sets. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School team tennis squad closed out the regular season with a 17-2 victory against Burnet Sept. 30.

The Mustangs and Lady Mustangs, who finished the District 25-4A campaign as the runners-up, now turn their attention to San Antonio Davenport, which finished third in District 26-4A, in a bi-district round of the Class 4A playoffs at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at Fredericksburg High School.

“They’re in a very good tennis district with Wimberly and Fredericksburg,” Marble Falls head coach Samuel Whitley said. “Last year, we played Ingram (Tom Moore) in the first round and we lost a close match there. So we’re expecting another good close match this year.” 

Against Burnet, the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs didn’t lose many games en route to the wins.

At No. 1 boys singles Marble Falls’ Cooper Womack and Burnet’s Nick Dietrich battled. Though Womack won in straight sets, the games played long because Dietrich wouldn’t give up on points.

“Cooper actually played a phenomenal match,” Whitley said. “His opponent was doing good, but Cooper found a way to get pretty much every shot back across the net, which is something that he does often.”

Another standout match was at No. 3 girls singles between Marble Falls’ Chloe Taylor and Burnet’s Eryn Halford. Halford led 4-1 when Taylor turned the match around by winning the next five games en route to a straight sets victory.

“(Taylor) was actually the only (Lady Mustang) at one point who was being beat,” the coach said. “She ended up winning the match 6-4, 6-1 after being down to start with, so she made some good adjustments and finished.” 

Marble Falls also showed its depth. Cooper Kelley didn’t play singles. That allowed Nicolas Smith to play at No. 2 boys singles. Though he lost in three sets to Callen Smith, that match went to three sets.

“I thought he played pretty well, pretty good,” the coach said.

Still, the Bulldogs showed their fight especially the mixed doubles team of Alex Burns and Smith. The duo beat Glenn Banton and Mia Hernandez in straight sets

“They have a good mixed team that’s been planning together for a couple years,” Whitley said. “They were in third place in the district last spring. They just missed going to the regionals just by a little bit.” 

As for the district race, where Marble Falls lost only to eventual district champion Little River Academy, the coach said he “was pleased with it.”

“We knew it was going to be close between us and Academy,” he said. “We know where we stand at in the district. It’s no secret that Academy’s No. 1, we’re No. 2. We had literally no competition throughout the season. I hate to say it that way, but that’s the way it is. And so I’m pleased.” 

CAPTION: Sophia Trudeau exited the Charlie and Nancy Herrington Tennis Center by dropping only three games in four sets. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

RESULTS

BOYS

Singles

Cooper Womack def. Nick Dietrich 6-1, 6-1; Nick Smith lost to Callen Smith 4-6, 7-6, 6-10; Payton Glaser def. Luke Suchomel 6-7, 6-4, 10-7; Glenn Banton def. Tait Schmidt 6-2, 6-2; Jared Smith def. Andre Shaffer 6-1, 6-2

Doubles

Womack and Cooper Kelley def. Suchomel and Dietrich 6-0, 6-1; N. Smith and Glaser def. Tait and Ander 6-0, 6-0; Leflet and Beaston def. Catlin and Luca 6-0, 6-3

GIRLS

Singles

Nevaeh Nelson (Montoya) def. Alex Burns 6-1, 6-2; Sophia Trudeau def. Rowyn Mulhollan 6-1, 6-0; Chloe Taylor def. Eryn Halford 6-4, 6-1; Chloe Brown def. Blake Haynes 6-0, 6-1; Mia Hernandez def. Vae Untermeyer 6-2, 6-2; Briana Morales Kamia DeLill 6-2, 6-0

Doubles

Nelson (Montoya) and Trudeau def. Fryn and Rowan 6-0, 6-2; Morales and Brown def. Blake and Vae 6-1, 6-0, Taylor and Vandiford def. Amara and Casey 6-1, 6-0

MIXED DOUBLES

Banton and Hernandez lost to Smith and Burns 3-6, 4-6