Panther women’s tennis has gone unbeaten once again.
After a historic 2022, in which they went 14-0 in the regular season and played in the 3A state semifinals, Heather Bell’s team entered the fall season with great expectations. In routing Smoky Mountain, West Henderson and Rabun Gap, Franklin wrapped up their second straight unbeaten campaign ahead of the Mountain Seven Conference Tournament Oct. 12.
On Monday, Oct. 2, the Panthers traveled to Sylva to take on Smoky Mountain. In a rematch of their shutout of the Mustangs Sept. 6, Franklin took care of business once again, blanking Smoky 9-0 for the fifth straight time since 2021.
In singles, the rivals forwent the traditional three sets used in high school matches, opting instead for a quicker first-to-10-games format. At No. 1, junior Kate Phillips dispatched her opponent 10-1, while junior Abigail Angel prevailed 10-3 at No. 2. At Nos. 3 and 6, junior Maci Stork and sophomore Clara Stork both won 10-2, while seniors Laura Holland (No. 4) and Logan Guynn (No. 5) each shut out their opponents 10-0.
In doubles, Phillips and Angel claimed the No. 1 match 8-2, while Guynn and Maci Stork blanked their opponents 8-0 at No. 2. At No. 3, the Holland sisters earned Franklin’s ninth individual win 8-1.
Two nights later, the Panthers returned to the Macon County Rec Park for a Senior Night match with West Henderson. After falling 8-1 in Hendersonville Sept. 11, the Falcons pulled out all the stops, needing a razor-thin third-set tiebreak 6-4, 3-6, (10-8) to claim the top singles match. After winning her first set comfortably 6-3 at No. 2, Angel was forced into a 7-6 second-set tiebreak, but ultimately prevailed 7-5 to secure the match.
At No. 5, Guynn seemed evenly matched with her Falcon counterpart, narrowly winning a first-set tiebreak 7-6 (9-7). The senior encountered little resistance in the second however, cruising to a 6-1 victory. Neither Stork (No. 3), Laura Holland (No. 4) nor Lydia Holland (No. 6) ceded more than three games to their opponents.
In doubles, Franklin claimed all three matches in blowouts, with Phillips/Angel (No. 1) and Guynn/Maci Stork (No. 2) both winning 8-1 and the Holland sisters winning an 8-0 shutout.
“As the coach I am definitely so proud of this group of girls. They continually show up when it matters, not only in competition but also for each other,” said Bell of the team’s second Mountain Seven title in two years. “They are each other’s biggest cheerleaders, and I have no doubt going into post-season that we will see more of that spirit as we start to face tougher competition.”
“It’s sad, but it’s been a great season and the team is great, so hopefully we’ll keep being friends after the season’s over,” said Laura Holland of playing her last home match as a Panther. “I’m glad we’ve won [the conference title], but I think the team as a whole is just so strong that I wasn’t too surprised.”
After dispatching West, the next night the team traveled to Rabun Gap to rehash their 9-0 win over the Eagles Sept. 21. There, the rematch looked similar to the teams’ first meeting, with Stork, Guynn and the Holland sisters cruising to victory at Nos. 2-5. At No. 6, junior Gianna Abbate won 6-3, 6-2, while Phillips lost a tough match 7-6, 3-6, (10-8) at No. 1.
In doubles, Phillips and Angel drew a difficult pair at No. 1, but ultimately prevailed 8-5. At Nos. 2 and 3, Franklin won 8-1 to secure the dual team victory. Following their second straight undefeated regular season, Bell says they’ll turn their attention to the conference individual tournament Oct. 12.
“It’s an interesting time for sure, because there is such great excitement and joy that we finished regular season so strong, but also a feeling of anticipation as we approach the beginning of playoffs where we will begin to be really tested,” said Bell. “I’ve taken notes on some things I’ve seen that could be potential weaknesses and strategies that fit the girls’ strengths. We look to have as many focused practices as possible to really hone in and fine-tune some things. … There will definitely be some nerves, but there is also a lot of excitement. We will need to stay focused on the small things, but taking it one practice at a time, one small goal at a time and keeping the atmosphere light-hearted and fun will all be important for everyone to play near their potential.”
“Of course, the mental game of tennis is a very big part. You’ve got to stay focused, and you’ve got to keep telling yourself that you can do it when you’re down,” said Holland. “I think with the encouragement from the team, it really helps people to get back up on their feet when. They’re down. … We just need to keep doing what we’re doing, because if we do I think we can go far. Everybody’s so tight, and I think that bond that everybody has together helps a lot.”