For the second straight year, Panther women’s tennis is closing in on an unbeaten season.
On the week of Sept. 25, Franklin hosted a pair of Mountain Seven matches, welcoming Pisgah and North Henderson to the Macon County Rec Park. In routing the Knights and Black Bears for the second time each this year, Heather Bell’s team improved to 11-0 with just three contests to play this regular season.
On Monday, Sept. 25, the team welcomed Pisgah to Allman Drive for a rematch of their 9-0 win over the Black Bears Sept. 7. There, the rematch looked much like the rivals’ first meeting, with juniors Kate Phillips (No. 1) and Caroline Deal (No. 2) both winning in singles 6-0, 6-1. At No. 3, junior Maci Stork also cruised to victory 6-2, 6-1; while senior Laura Holland won a 6-0, 6-0 shutout at No. 4. At No. 5, senior Logan Guynn dispatched her opponent 6-2, 6-0; while senior Lydia Holland matched her sister’s shutout win at No. 6.
The Black Bears didn’t fare much better in doubles, falling 8-2 to Phillips and junior Abigail Angel at No. 1, 8-1 to Stork and Guynn at No. 2, and 8-0 to the Hollands at No. 3.
Following their eighth 9-0 dual team victory of the season, on Sept. 27 the Panthers returned to the Macon County Rec Park to rehash their 9-0 win over North Henderson Sept. 5. At No. 1, Phillips dispatched her opponent quickly 6-1, 6-0; while Stork (No. 2), Guynn (No. 3) and Lydia Holland (No. 4) each blanked their opponents 6-0, 6-0. At No. 5, Deal also made quick work of her foe 6-1, 6-1; while sophomore Marlee Barnes won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 6.
In doubles, Phillips and Angel claimed the No. 1 match 8-1, while the Holland sisters took the No. 2 match in a shutout 8-0. At No. 3, sophomore Clara Stork and freshman Olivia Rinker played the match of the day for Franklin, winning narrowly 7-6 just before rain forced both teams off the court.
Sitting at 11-0 and 10-0 in the Mountain Seven, the Panthers ended the week with just three more contests left on the schedule. At Smoky Mountain and home for West Henderson in the first days of October, Franklin will attempt to complete their second-straight unbeaten campaign in the conference, before ending their regular season at Rabun Gap Oct. 5.