Photo by Alicia Alumbaugh | Sullivan junior Ally McKinney returns a shot in a week earlier this week.

BY TRAVIS DAVID
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After being blanked by regional finalist South Knox, the Sullivan girls tennis team bounced back in a big way. The Lady Arrows have rattled off four straight wins after a 5-0 blanking of Western Indiana Conference rival Northview on Tuesday.

With the win, Sullivan improved to 5-1 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in league play.

Against the Knights, the Lady Arrows shut out their rivals in dominating fashion. Sullivan earned 2-0 wins across all five positions.

“This was a nice conference win,” Sullivan veteran coach Wes Kirk said. “Northview has historically been one of the tougher tennis teams in our conference so it’s always nice to get a win against them. I also appreciate the competitive focus of our singles players dropping only three games total.”

Ally McKinney and Mercedes Ferree both blanked their opponents at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions, respectively. Izzie Jenkins completed the sweep on the singles court with a 6-2, 6-1 win.

The top doubles team of Jacie Wilson and Emma Couch cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 win while Cabela Golish and Isabelle Harris slipped past their opponents at the No. 2 spot by a score of 7-5, 6-3.

“Cabela and Isabelle did a nice job of raising their games at the end of both sets so they could win in straight sets,” Kirk said of his No. 2 tandem. “In tennis, it’s always better to win handily if you can.”

Lori Alumbaugh, Annabel Grant and Addy Hunt all won junior varsity contests on the singles court while Jada Spurlock and Payton Sparks teamed up for a win at the doubles court.

Earlier in the week, Sullivan knocked off Vincennes Lincoln, 4-1.

The Lady Arrows once again dominated at all three positions on the singles court.

McKinney sent her opponent home with a bagel at the No. 1 spot and Ferree dropped just one game at the No. 2 position. After a 6-0 win in the first set, Jenkins once again completed the singles’ sweep with a 6-2 win in the second.
The fourth point of the match went to Golish and Harris. The pair of seniors posted a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 doubles.

Couch and Wilson dropped a tough 6-3, 6-4 setback at the top spot.

“We were not able to play against Lincoln last year due to the weather so I was not 100 percent sure on what to expect from them this year,” the Arrows’  coach stated. “But they were solid at all their positions, especially at the No. 1 doubles spot. 

In the junior varsity contests, the two teams split 10 matches. Alumbaugh, Grant, and Jurnee Stulcup all picked up wins on the singles court while the tandems of Spurlock/Sparks and Alexis Shipley/Hunt won as well.

SULLIVAN 5, Northview 0

Singles:

1) Ally McKinney (S) def. Myra McQueen  6-0, 6-0

2) Mercedes Ferree (S) def. Maci Brimberry  6-0, 6-0

3) Izzie Jenkins (S) def. Kenzie Wilmore  6-2, 6-1

Doubles:

1) Jacie Wilson/Emma Couch (S) def. Chloe Stevens/Leah Archer  6-0, 6-3

2) Cabela Golish/Isabelle Harris (S) def. Ava Pierce/Hannah Sutherland 7-5, 6-3

SULLIVAN 4, Vincennes Lincoln 1

Singles

1) Ally McKinney(S) def. Madison Fleck 6-0, 6-0

2) Mercedes Ferree (S) def. Raney Corey 6-0, 6-1

3) Izzie Jenkins (S) def. Tiah Riggs 6-0, 6-2

Doubles

1) Maddy Mitchell/Adra Luking (V) def. Emma Couch/Jacie Wilson 6-3, 6-4

2) Cabela Golish/Isabelle Harris (S) def. Mylee Muranaka/Bella Lechner 6-1, 6-1