| Westview’s Nance perseveres to win district singles crown |
By: Stephanie Sturgis - Weakley County Press Sports Editor
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Posted: Thursday, May 6, 2010 5:00 pm
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14 A-AA Singles champ — Westview tennis coach Chad Johnson (left) congratulates WHS Lady Charger Chloe Nance after she was presented the plaque honoring her as the District 14 A-AA Tournament singles champion Tuesday evening. Photo by Stephanie Sturg
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After more than four hours on the court Tuesday afternoon and evening, Westview sophomore Chloe Nance finally wore down her opponents and claimed the District 14 A-AA Tennis Tournament singles championship.
By a pair of 2-1 margins, Nance defeated Haywood’s Lindsey Yoder in the semifinals and Covington’s Rhett Watson in the final. The Lady Chargers’ No. 1 singles player twice rallied from being a set down to take the wins and the title.
“She just persevered. That’s my word to describe it,” WHS first-year tennis coach Chad Johnson said of Nance. “She didn’t necessarily dominate, but she did what she had to do to win.”
In the semifinals, Nance outlasted Yoder, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Nance blasted out of the gates winning the first two games of the first set, but Yoder used her lob to counter Nance’s charges to the net and took the 3-6 win.
Yoder served her way to a 1-0 lead in the second set, but Nance began to limit her own errors and used her shots to make Yoder move around more on the court for a 6-2 win of the set.
In the third set, Yoder again served her way to a 1-0 lead, but the repeated long volleys began to wear her down, while Nance was still fresh. The Lady Charger eventually held off the visibly weary Yoder to advance to the championship.
While Nance only had a 20-minute break between matches, Watson won her semifinal approximately 30 minutes earlier and enjoyed a lengthy rest period.
In the final, Watson took advantage of her rest and roared out to a 6-3 win in the first set. The second set was even at 5-5 when Watson was felled by leg cramps. After about a five-minute break in the action, the final resumed and Nance came on to win 7-5.
In the third set, Nance fell behind 4-2 before rallying to win the final four games for a 6-4 victory nearly five hours after her action began.
“That’s what I think won it for me in both games was my stamina and being in the best condition,” an excited but tired Nance said.
“She’s been very consistent all year long. She works at it and takes lessons and practices and stays after practice. She puts her heart into it,” Johnson noted.
Nance opened the tournament with an 8-4 win over Crockett County’s Elizabeth Moore before defeating Haley Blalack from Covington, 8-1, in the quarterfinals on Monday.
In other tourney matches involving Westview players in the opening rounds on Monday at Martin, Lady Charger Ashleigh Ary was knocked out by Dyersburg’s Corena Hasselle, 8-3. In doubles action, Westview’s duo of Brooklyn Burress and Chantia Brown were eliminated, 8-1, by Covington’s Nance and Long, No. 3 seed. Also Lady Chargers Melissa Darroch and Cara Burnham were edged, 8-5, by Gibson County’s Scott and Warren.
With her win, Nance who was named to the All-District team, will next compete in the Region 7 A-AA Tournament to be held May 17-18 in Dyersburg. |
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