The West Plains Lady Zizzers tennis team opened its season with a pair of competitive outings, placing fifth at the Lady Zizzer Invitational on Sept. 1 before dropping a narrow 5-4 dual to Willow Springs on Thursday, Sept. 3.
At the Lady Zizzer Invitational, West Plains hosted a field that included Willow Springs, Forsyth, Marshfield and Rolla.
In Flight 1 singles play, Promise Russell finished 1-3. The Flight 1 doubles team of Addi Simpson and June Sanderson also posted a 1-3 record for the tournament.
"We put ourselves in positions to win several matches, which showed me that we are closer than the final standings may indicate," West Plains Head Coach Jordan Letterman said. "We did not finish where we wanted, but I was proud of how our girls showed up and competed in their first varsity tournament. The experience showed us exactly what we need to improve on, especially when it comes to finishing close matches and becoming more comfortable in pressure situations."
That experience translated into a tighter, more confident performance just two days later against Willow Springs.
West Plains secured three singles victories against the Lady Bears, with Sanderson winning at No. 2, Russell at No. 3 and Libby Peugh at No. 6. The Zizzers' No. 1 doubles team also earned a win, tying the dual and forcing the overall outcome to hinge on the No. 5 singles match featuring West Plains senior Melak Tekle.
"She was down 5-2 but fought all the way back to 6-6 before eventually losing on a deuce point," Letterman said. "I was extremely proud of the way she responded because she could have easily put her head down, but instead she battled back and gave our team an opportunity to win the match."
Despite the 5-4 team loss, Letterman noted the team's visible growth from earlier in the week.
"We competed much more confidently, fought through difficult situations, and gave ourselves a chance to win right up until the final point," Letterman said.
