Kyla Mehl has earned the reputation of working overtime for her tennis wins.
On August 18, the Orange women’s tennis team had just earned an official win after a long, humid night against Western Alamance in Elon. Oakley Gaddy and Evelyn Gover defeated Meegan Weaver and Redekah Cuevas 8-6 to secure Orange’s fifth win, and thus the dual match.
But the night wasn’t over.
Her teammates had already packed up their rackets and set for the long bus ride home only to find that Mehl was still playing her singles match against Morgan Cook, which lasted in excess of 3-hours and 15-minutes. Cook would eventually win 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 10-7 in a 10-point tiebreaker.
On Thursday night, Mehl ended the regular season with not one, but two matches that required tiebreakers. She won both of them, helping Orange earn a bye into the second round of the 5A State Dual Team Playoffs.
Facing Seaforth, Mehl defeated Aadhya Rao in the #6 singles match 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), which gave Orange a split among the six singles matches.
In doubles, Mehl once again played in the last match of the night, this one determining who would win the outright dual match. Mehl & Oakley Gaddy defeated Tatum Dell and Rao 9-8, winning another tiebreaker 7-5. It provided Orange with a 5-4 win over the Hawks in a match played at Cedar Ridge High School.
Orange, which hasn’t had a home court this season, earned the 5th seed from the Eastern Region for the 5A State Dual Team Playoffs. The 48-team field was released by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association on Friday.
The Lady Panthers earned a bye into the second round. On Wednesday, the Lady Panthers will face either Southern Nash or Southeast Alamance. The Firebirds and the Stallions will play in the opening round today (Monday).
Orange athletic officials are hopeful that its new court will be ready in time for Wednesday’s match, which would be its first at home this season. Orange has practiced at the Duke School in Durham since mid-August. Two weeks ago, Orange played its Senior Night match against Eno River Academy at Cedar Ridge High, the latest court where a vagabond team has had to call home for one night.
With their home court under construction for the second year in a row, Orange has had “home” matches at Cedar Ridge, Chapel Hill High School and the Walker Tennis Complex in Mebane this season.
It’s the second year in a row that Orange has hosted a match in the state playoffs. Last season, the Orange women defeated Northern Nash 5-2, which was Orange’s first home win in the state playoffs in the 43-year history of the program.
The Seaforth win was Orange’s tightest of the season with three singles matches going to 10-point, third set tiebreakers. Orange senior Molly Kruse defeated Eleanor Kristiansen 3-6, 6-3, 10-8. Later, Kruse teamed with Kalynn Mason to defeat Ella Kreinar and Mackenzie Wray 8-4 in the opening doubles match.
Orange senior Adelyn Alvis outlasted Tatum Dell 5-7, 6-3, 10-7 in the #5 singles match.
Wray defeated Orange sophomore Kalynn Mason 6-2, 6-3 in the opening singles match. At #2 singles, Kreinar knocked off Orange junior Ellie Wilson 6-4, 4-6, 10-6. Seaforth junior Charlotte Bowman defeated Casey Robinson 6-2, 6-2.
Orange ended the regular season 13-5. They finished in fourth place in the Central Conference with a 7-5 record, avenging an earlier loss to Seaforth on September 10 in Pittsboro.
On Senior Night against Eno River Academy, Alvis earned two wins. She defeated Natalie Harkins 8-0 at #4 singles. In doubles action, Alvis teamed with Gover to defeat Sadie Davies-Payne and Harkins 8-2.
Robinson, whose older sister Caden was an All-Conference pitcher for the Orange softball team, also picked up two wins. She defeated Davies-Payne 8-5 at #3 singles. Robinson joined fellow senior Lindsay Woodell to defeat Lyla York and Georgia Duggan 8-3.
Kruse, Gaddy, and Mehl all earned senior night wins against the Bobcats.
