PHOTOS BY STEVE BRANT – STC senior Grace Gomez competes at #3 singles against Ballard.

The STC’s girls tennis team found themselves short-handed last week, as they fell to both Ballard and Marion in a pair of home dual meets on back-to-back evenings.

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Ballard Bombers came to STC and won all matches on their way to a 9-0 victory. Playing without their usual #1 singles player, senior Mady Boriskey, due to illness, Trojan head coach Steve Bearden shuffled his lineup and was proud of his team’s effort.

“We put our best lineup out on the court and forced players to play out of their normal positions,” Bearden said after the meet. “I’m proud of our players for competing despite the difficult challenge.”

Junior Ava Boldt took the #1 singles spot and fell to Ballard’s Addy Agena, 8-1. In addition, junior Presley Vest (#2), senior Grace Gomez (#3), sophomore Kendra Svacina (#4), freshman Bralynn Rohrs (#5), and sophomore Catherine Hardon (#6) all fell in their singles matches.

On the next evening, Thursday, September 10, STC hosted fellow-WaMaC foe Marion. The Trojans picked up a win from Vest, who defeated the Wolves’ Macie Johnson, 8-2, in #2 singles. Boldt once again competed in the #1 slot, and, after fighting hard, fell to Marion’s Kennedy Barnhart, 8-4.

STC junior Ava Boldt competes at #1 singles against Ballard.

“Ava stepped up for a second night in a row and took on the best player from the visiting team,” said Bearden. “She fought for every point.”

Marion took all remaining singles matches, as well as all three doubles matches. STC’s doubles teams of Boldt and Vest (#1), and Svacina and Rohrs (#3), nearly pulled off victories, when both teams fell, 8-6.

The Trojan tennis team was scheduled to compete at the annual WaMaC conference meet on Thursday, Sept. 17 at Independence. Following that, the postseason begins when individual regionals will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Team regionals will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26.

STC freshman Bralynn Rohrs returns a serve in doubles-play against Ballard.

STC sophomore Kendra Svacina competes in doubles-play against Ballard.

STC junior Presley Vest returns serve in #1 doubles-play against Ballard.