Photo by Justin Webb
The first athletic event of the new academic year was a victory for the Orange women’s tennis team.
On Monday afternoon, the Lady Panthers put away Chatham Charter 8-1 in Siler City amid sweltering heat in Chatham County. It was the first match for six new players, but that did little to hinder the Lady Panthers from winning its season opener for the sixth straight year.
Junior Kalynn Mason, the returning top singles player, earned a 6-0, 6-1 win over the Knights’ Maggie Moody for her opening win of the season. Senior Ellie Wilson defeated Chatham junior Abby Semrad 6-1, 6-2 as Orange swept the opening six matches.
In her first start, junior Davia Coyle won at #3 singles over Emma Suggs 6-0, 6-0. Orange junior Cadence Sayed won her match at #4 singles when her opponent retired a game into the second set. Sayed won the opening set 6-0.
Orange senior Lucy Frank defeated Kaylee Moffitt 6-1, 6-0 at #5 singles. The Lady Panthers’ completed the singles sweep when Samantha Gover rolled past Kaylee Moffitt 6-1, 6-0.
Orange won two of the three doubles matches. Mason and Coyle won the top doubles match over Moody and Stella Hamilton 8-1. At #2 doubles, Wilson and Cover defeated Semrad and Suggs 8-1.
Chatham Charter earned its only point at #3 doubles when Lucy Kidd and Kaylee Silver-Vaszquez defeated Evelyn Pacheco and Coraline Sayed 8-5.
Orange was supposed to play Triangle Math and Science Academy on Tuesday, but the match was postponed due to weather concerns. The Lady Panthers will travel to former Central Conference rival Southern Alamance on Wednesday to finish the opening week of the season.
