The West Plains Lady Zizzers tennis team secured its fourth win of the season with a tight 5-4 victory over the Hillcrest Lady Hornets on Sept. 24.
The West Plains No. 3 doubles team earned a win to set the stage for a dominant showing from the lower half of the singles lineup. West Plains swept the No. 3 through No. 6 singles matches, with victories from Promise Russell (No. 3), Mia Leija (No. 4), Melak Tekle (No. 5) and Libby Peugh (No. 6).
West Plains Head Coach Jordan Letterman pointed to the lower part of the lineup as the deciding factor against the Lady Hornets.
"Those girls secured some really important wins and helped us earn our fourth team win of the season," Letterman said. "It shows how much work they have been putting in throughout the year and how much they have improved."
Overall, Letterman said, it was a really good team win.
"In a 5-4 match, every court matters, and our girls found a way to get the five wins we needed," he said. "I was really proud of the way they competed and stayed focused throughout the match."
Joplin Tournament
Four days later, the Lady Zizzers traveled to the Joplin Tournament on Sept. 28, placing fifth out of seven teams.
Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School captured the tournament championship. New Heights placed second with 10 points, Lighthouse Christian took third (16), and Carthage and Joplin tied for fourth (17). Following West Plains in fifth place, Monett took sixth with 28 points, and Nevada placed seventh with 32.
At No. 1 doubles, Sanderson and Simpson dropped their opening-round match to a strong opponent but bounced back to win the remainder of their matches, capturing the consolation bracket championship.
The No. 2 doubles team of Russell and Tekle, along with the No. 3 team of Kinley Green and Peugh, each advanced to their respective third-place matches before falling. At No. 4 doubles, Mya Cook and Leah Harvey advanced to the consolation championship before coming up short.
"We were able to play against some really good schools that we do not normally see, and it gave us a chance to compete against different styles of play," Letterman said. "It was also a valuable day for us as a team because it showed us both how much we have improved and some areas we still need to continue working on."
