Coming off winning the Triangle North Athletic Conference championship last year, there are plenty of Eno River Academy women’s tennis players learning on the job.
On Thursday, Clara Sanford and Dahlia Kisala earned their first varsity victories as the Bobcats successfully started the season.
Traveling to Siler City, Eno River defeated Chatham Charter 7-2 in the 2026 lid lifter. Sanford, starting in the top singles spot, won when her opponent, Maggie Moody retired in the midst of a first set tiebreaker. Sanford trailed 3-2 in the tiebreaker after playing to a 6-6 draw in the opening set.
Sanford also won her first doubles match. Teaming with Meg Brinkman in the #1 doubles match, Sanford joined Meg Brinkman to defeat Abby Semrad and Stella Hamilton 8-3.
Kisala, starting in the second singles spot, defeated Abby Semrad 6-1, 6-0. Later, Kisala and Sadie Davies-Payne defeated Emma Suggs and Ally Rae Rogers 8-0 to win the #2 doubles point.
Eno River took five of the six singles matches. Sophomore Natalie Harkins earned the dual match victory for the Bobcats when she defeated Kaylee Siler 6-2, 6-0.
Davies-Payne won at #3 single over Suggs 6-1, 6-1. Brinkman defeated Lucy Kidd 6-1, 6-1 at #4 singles. Gia Morgan was the only singles win for Chatham Charter.
The Knights’ other point came in the #3 doubles match when Kidd and Kaylee Siler defeated Harkins and York 9-7.
It was the first of four straight road matches to open the season for Eno River. They will travel to Ting Park in Holly Springs to face Triangle Math & Science Academy on Tuesday. They will face Western Alamance in Elon next Thursday.
Last season, the Bobcats won the conference championship over Vance Charter and Henderson Collegiate. In the opening round of the 2A State Dual Team Playoffs, the Bobcats lost to Raleigh Charter. Eno River lost its top two singles players in Lily Kate Phillipps and Quinn Parker, who both graduated in June. Phillipps and Parker also comprised the Bobcats top doubles team.
