Raiders roll over JC (05/10/06)

Jay County had a tough task Tuesday, up against one of the tougher teams on its schedule. But with the sectional tournament just over a week away, at least they got their top player back.

The Patriots took a 5-0 loss to the Shenandoah Raiders, but No. 1 singles player Angie Stults returned to the court after a couple of weeks off.

Stults got off to a slow start as she made her way into the lineup again after missing six matches with a back injury, losing 6-0 in her opening set. But she got a game from Lauren Wilson in the second in the 6-0, 6-1 loss.

Megan Adams also picked up only one game at No. 3 singles in a 6-1, 6-0 loss to Ashley Philhower.

“We’re glad to get (Stults) back,” said JCHS coach Roy Adams, whose team has one more regular-season match before the Marion sectional begins Thursday, May 18. “It’s been tough on her. She’s wanted to play, but she just hasn’t been ready.”

The Patriots (3-12) managed to take at least three games in each of the other three varsity matches as Shenandoah (10-1) pushed them to their ninth shutout defeat this season.

Jessica Muhlenkamp and Megan Knittle turned in the closest match of the night at No. 1 doubles.

The Jay County duo had 2-1 leads in both the first and second sets, but could not hold on. Muhlenkamp hit a couple of nice lob winners in the ninth game of the second set, but Nicole Brown and Lindsey Rice went on to take the game for a 6-3, 6-3 win.

Tiffani Bickel and Cindy Muhlenkamp trailed just 4-3 in the opening set of their match at No. 2 doubles against Haley Campbell and Brittanie Middleton. They dropped the next game to fall behind 5-3, but had repeated chances to pull back within a game as Muhlenkamp served.

After falling behind 30-love, the Patriot pair pulled even and had a chance to end the game after a Shenandoah shot flew wide left. Campbell and Middleton fought off that game point try and two more before taking the opening set on the cross-court winner en route to a 6-3, 6-1 win.

At No. 2 singles Jay County’s Carissa Wilkins fell 6-1, 6-2 to Kayla Bell.

“The thing we’ve been working on is relaxing and not getting uptight,” said Adams. “That’s a big thing ... We’ve been down at times just by getting down on ourselves.

“We can’t change the quality of who we play. Hopefully you watch them and learn some things that they do that can help you. (You can’t) get worked up about the things you can’t control. We’re trying to work on the things that we can and make some positives.”

Junior varsity

Adams said he was happy with the Patriots’ effort in a 3-3 tie with Shenandoah.

Heather Ayers returned to the No. 1 singles spot after filling in at the varsity level during Stults’ absence. She defeated Jessica Parrish 8-4.

Hannah McAbee turned in a big win at No. 3 singles, taking a marathon tiebreaker to top Alyssa Bennett 9-8 (12-10). In No. 1 doubles action, Betsy Knittle and Brittany Lewis defeated Britney Walker and Elizabeth Sturgeon 8-5.

In other matches Caitlin Dunn fell 9-7 to Kelsey Meyers at No. 2 singles, Megan McGraw dropped 8-3 to Sarah Brown at No. 4 singles and the team of Megan Huntsman and Briann Saxman lost 8-2 to Brittany Webber and Mariah Smith at No. 2 doubles.[[In-content Ad]]