Jay tennis wins opener

The experienced singles players cruised to victories.
The newest varsity players took a more challenging route in their debut.
Jay County High School’s girls tennis team opened its season Tuesday with a 4-1 victory over the Blackford Bruins.
“Real happy,” said JCHS coach Susan Garringer, whose team won all three singles matches and also No. 2 doubles. “I’m really proud of the girls.”
On a chilly evening with sunshine and a light breeze, Jay County senior Kyra Braun did not face much of a challenge from Blackford’s Tori Baker at No. 1 singles. Braun won the first set rather quickly, 6-0.
She claimed the first three games of the second set before Baker broke the shutout. Braun (1-0) was ahead 5-1 before dropping the seventh game of the second set. It was the last one she would lose, as the JCHS senior won the next to take the set 6-2 and the match.
“Her opponent wasn’t as strong as her but then it’s often hard to play a person like that,” Garringer said of Braun’s match. “She pretty much played her game still. She said there were some things she didn’t like, there were some things she could have done better, but overall she had a good outing for her first match.”
The same can be said for sophomore Shelby McClain, who defeated Dakota Mohler 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. McClain, who saw some time at the varsity level last season in a spot role, won the first three games of the opening set before dropping the fourth.
She was able to rebound from the loss, using solid backhand strokes and a mix of playing both deep and at the baseline to win the final three games and the first set.
McClain (1-0) surrendered two games in the second set, but won 6-2 for her first victory of the season.
Junior Megan Johnson made her varsity debut at No. 3 singles, and needed three sets to defeat Audrey Foster. They both won a set 6-3, with the Patriot taking the first. In the third set, however, Johnson (1-0) won all six games for her first career victory. It also secured the match for the Patriots.
“She did a lot of good things on the court,” Garringer said. “We’re going to work her at the net a little bit more so she can get some confidence in her volleys.
“She hit a lot of good tennis balls today.”
Jay County’s No. 2 doubles team of Audrey and Kayla Dirksen made its varsity debut and needed every bit of three sets to get its first career victory.
“They have really improved since last year,” Garringer said of the cousins. “I thought they were good last year and I could see they had potential. Now they’re showing it. They showed it on the court tonight.”
The Dirksens won the first set against Nancy Cole and Brianna Phillips 7-5 before dropping the second 6-1. They had a 2-1 advantage in the third set until the Bruins’ duo won four straight games to get one away from a match victory.
Audrey Dirksen served her team to a victory in the eighth game of the third set, and it battled to deuce three times to eventually break Blackford’s serve in game nine to make it 5-4. Blackford only earned one point over the next two games, giving the Patriots a 6-5 advantage in the set.
Cole and Phillips were not able to break Audrey’s serve in the 12th game to force a tiebreaker. After Blackford’s shot sailed long at the second deuce, Kayla Dirksen hit the match-winning forehanded shot while at the net.
“They showed good concentration on the court and good focus,” Garringer said. “They didn’t get rattled. That is a good sign.”
The Patriots’ only loss was at No. 1 doubles as Abby Reier and Abby Saxman lost in straight sets to Jessica Millikan and Shelby Sullivan. The Abbys knew afterward they could have played better too.
“They could tell,” Garringer said. “They didn’t play their best tennis and they know that.”
Jay County’s junior varsity team shut out the Bruins, 5-0. Francine Muhlenkamp defeated Sierra McPherson at No. 1 singles 8-1, with Cassie Reno knocking off Bryce Parsons by the same score at No. 2 singles. Brittani Snell earned an 8-2 win over Rylee Smith at No. 3 singles.
The Patriots’ JV No. 1 doubles team of Katy Hamilton and Sydney Baughman beat Brittaney Dillon and Gretchen Messersmith 8-5. Emily Reier and Betsy Muhlenkamp shut out Morgan Shroyer and Anya Aulbach at No. 2 doubles, 8-0.