The sound of grocery carts never sounded better for the Orange women’s tennis team.
They had been cooped up inside the storage shed on the hill above Orange Tennis Courts for six months. It’s a practice convenience carried on by head coach Justin Webb that his predecessor, Andy Brown, started a decade ago because it was the easiest way to contain dozens of tennis balls.
“We’re probably the only team that has that,” Webb said. “I missed my grocery carts. It’s a good resource to have.”
Webb also got to use the ball machine, which had been sitting idle since last spring. Another little thing his team was unable to do on the road made possible simply by having a home court to call its own again.
After being a barnstorming team since practice started in August, the Orange women’s tennis team finally got to practice on its home court for the first time this year on Monday. For the second year in a row, their tennis courts got a makeover, taking the entire summer and regular season for construction crews to restructure and rebuild them.
It led to a new normal for Webb’s team, which has practiced at the Duke School in Durham for much of the year, about 20 minutes from Orange High. On Monday, there was no bus trip to Durham for practice and no travelling across town to Cedar Ridge, Chapel Hill High or downtown Mebane to play a “home match.” The Lady Panthers hosted Southern Nash in the 2nd round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 5A State Playoffs.
Not only that, but Orange won a state playoff match for the fourth time in five years.
Orange (14-5) defeated the Firebirds 5-1 to advance to the round of 16 of the 5A state playoffs. Sophomore Kalynn Mason, who won a match in the state playoffs against Northern Nash last year in Hillsborough, defeated Taryn Reams in the top singles match 6-4, 6-0 to start the day.
Junior Ellie Wilson won her first career state playoff match at #2 singles, beating Nash’s Lauren Maldonado 6-2, 6-3. Orange’s seniors also came up big. Molly Kruse defeated Hayden Baker 6-1, 6-0 at #3 singles. Casey Robinson knocked off Charlotte Schill 6-1, 6-1.
Orange’s Adelyn Alvis won over Lareimy Portillo 6-0. 6-1 to complete Orange’s fourth-ever win in the state playoffs. They advance to the round of 16, where they will travel to Wilson to face Hunt on Monday.
Before Webb became the Orange women’s tennis coach, the program had never won a match in the state playoffs dating back to its beginnings in 1984. It’s first playoff win came against Fike in Wilson on October 20, 2021.
Last year, Orange hosted a state playoff match for the first time, a 5-2 win over Northern Nash.
It’s an experienced Orange team that has nine seniors, many of whom excel in other sports, but have made a smooth transition to the hard courts. Orange has won 60 dual team matches since 2022.
“All of these girls are natural athletes,” Webb said. One is a figure skater. Some of them do soccer. One is a field hockey player. Adelyn is an All-Conference Track and Field. They’re great in all sports but they’re great natural athletic players.”
Orange has never advanced to the state quarterfinals. It’s a hurdle he would like to clear with possibly his most experience team ever.
“We just want to keep it going as long as possible,” Webb said. “This team has worked really hard. It’s been a grind. I keep telling the girls if we beat Hunt on Monday and if Durham School of the Arts beats Fike, we can get another home match, which would be awesome. Obviously, that only happens if we take care of business on Monday. But we want more time together because this is a special group.”
