This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior tennis player Ellie Wilson. This week, Wilson helped Orange hand Western Alamance its first loss of the season in Hillsborough. On Thursday, Wilson defeated Abigail Stimpson 6-2, 6-4 as the Lady Panthers defeated the Warriors 6-3. Last week, Wilson won two matches as Orange defeated Cedar Ridge 7-2 at Red Wolf Tennis Courts. Wilson won her singles match over Lydia Bordelon 6-4, 5-7, 10-4 in a 10-point tiebreaker. On the doubles match, Wilson joined Kalynn Mason to defeat Jasmin Brown and Madeline Galindo-Woodring 8-5. In her four years, Wilson has been a part of some of the most successful Orange tennis teams in school history. Last year, Orange reached the round of 16 in the 5A State Playoffs. This season, Orange started 9-1. Currently, Wilson leads the team with nine singles wins. Among the highlights was a victory over Ella Werley of Durham School of the Arts on August 26. Last year, Orange finished 15-6. In the opening round of the state dual team playoffs, Wilson defeated Southern Nash’s Lauren Maldonado 6-2, 6-3 as the Lady Panthers defeated the Firebirds 5-1. In the second round, Wilson defeated Emma Reel of Wilson Hunt 6-2, 5-7, 10-1 as Orange defeated the Warriors 5-1. The Lady Panthers will continue its season against Durham School of the Arts on Monday in Hillsborough.
