Photo by Justin Webb
The list of accolades that Orange tennis coach Justin Webb has brought to the men’s and women’s programs continues to grow.
Even before classes have officially started for the 2025-2026 academic year, Webb has already another item to his lengthy list of coaching milestones.
On a sultry Monday night in Elon, Webb won his 200th match as Orange tennis coach. The Lady Panthers edged former Central Conference rival Western Alamance 5-4 at Warriors Tennis Courts to improve to 2-0 on the young season.
Webb also coaches the Orange men’s team.
The competition was just as stifling as the humidity with three of the nine matches going to a third-set, 10-point tiebreaker. The entire night boiled down to the final doubles match, where the experience of the Lady Panthers showed. Seniors Oakley Gaddy and Evelyn Gover teamed to defeat Meegan Weaver and Rebekah Cuevas 8-6 to ensure the match-clinching result.
For the second time in two dual matches, Orange senior Molly Kruse won in both singles and doubles action. Kruse, the younger sister of former Orange lacrosse player Connor Kruse, defeated Fiona Dang 6-1, 6-1 at #3 singles. Later, Kruse and sophomore Kalynn Mason won a crucial doubles point, beating Kensley Gasaway and Dang 8-1.
Kruse, who cruised in her season-opening singles match 6-0, 6-0 against Southern Alamance last week, already has four overall wins in 2025.
The Warriors and the Lady Panthers split the six singles matches. In addition to Kruse’s victory, junior Ellie Wilson defeated Camden Markey 6-1, 2-6, 10-6.
Orange sophomore Samantha Gover defeated Summer Kernodle 6-2, 6-1 at #6 singles.
Gasaway battled back in the #1 singles match to defeat Mason 2-6, 6-3, 10-8. The Warriors won another three-set singles match when sophomore Morgan Cook outlasted senior Kyla Mehl 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 10-7.
Markey and Cana Kaffenberger defeated Wilson and Casey Robinson 8-4, which evened the dual match at 4-4 leading to Gaddy and Gover’s win.
The first Orange women’s tennis team was formed in 1981 by coach Lynn James.
Webb was the first coach to lead the Orange women’s tennis team to a win in the state playoffs in 2021. In the 3A State Dual Team Playoffs, when the bracket was limited to 32 teams, the Lady Panthers defeated Fike 5-3 in Wilson to move into the round of 16 behind vital wins from Erin Sollars and Jera Hargrove. Sollars would win in both singles and doubles play. Hargrove, who went on to play at Tuskegee University, teamed with Sollars to earn the doubles point that clinched the match.
The following year, the Lady Panthers captured the first conference championship in Orange tennis history, regardless of gender. Orange tied Walter Williams for the Central Conference championship. Webb drove the bus for an interminable trip to Kill Devil Hills for the state playoffs, where they defeated First Flight 5-2 in the opening round.
Last year, the Orange women’s team hosted a match in the 3A State Playoffs for the first time. Not only that, but the Lady Panthers defeated Northern Nash 5-2 behind wins from many of the same players who helped them to victory on Monday.
In May, the Orange men’s tennis team defeated Walter Williams to win a match in the state playoffs for the first time in the 43-year history of the program. Coach Nicky Walker, who won his 1,000th match as a coach at East Chapel Hill last October, started the Orange men’s program in 1982.
Naturally, Webb will have another milestone on Wednesday. Orange women’s tennis will become the first sport in the school to compete in the new Big Seven Conference. The Lady Panthers will face Cedar Ridge at Mebane Tennis Courts, the conference opener for both teams. Currently, both Cedar Ridge and Orange don’t have a home court because they’re both under construction. Thus, two teams from Hillsborough will have to play in Mebane.
