By Derek Trepanier
For The Republic
As the first real signs of spring arrived, the Columbus North girls tennis team made quick work of visiting Perry Meridian in a 5-0 Conference Indiana decision.
“I think everybody was just excited to get out in warm weather, in shorts and no sweatshirts or gloves. And I think that mentally was just fun for everybody,” North coach Kendal Hammel said.
The No. 1 doubles team of Madelyn Sanders and Eva Chevalier beat Jessika Jordan-Stephens and Valerie York 6-0, 6-0, while Paige Bishop also won her No. 3 singles match 6-0, 6-0 over Lauren Houk.
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Shweta Srinivasan defeated Brooke Kistner 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, and Ali Bergman and Servanne Cloteaux topped Andrea Alvarez and Olivia Lightit 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles. The closest match for the Bull Dogs (2-1, 1-0) was a 6-2, 6-2 victory by Yijaing Zhao against Anna Osborne in the No. 1 singles match.
“(Perry Meridian was) a little down this year. They lost four to six players from their team from last year, so that was good for us,” Hammel said. “It was a very windy day, even though it was nice and sunny and warm. But I thought we played well into the wind as far as our shot selection.”
Playing their third different lineup in as many matches, Hammel is still trying to figure out his team early on in the season as they approach the Jeffersonville Invitational this weekend.
“We are so far behind, as far as I would like to see, not only in the varsity but even in the JV,” Hammel said. “We are playing against a team tomorrow that will probably be our strongest competition and this weekend. So I’ve got players I’m still just moving around, figuring out who’s going to fit in. But hopefully, we are going to build from all that as we move into the stronger matches down the road that really matter.”
