LAKE COUNTY — The Coastal Mountain Conference tennis season finally opened Tuesday for the only two Lake County schools still fielding teams, the Middletown Mustangs and Kelseyville Knights. Both young squads were on the road for their openers and both came up a bit short, Middletown dropping a 4-1 decision at St. Helena and Kelseyville losing 3-2 at Cloverdale.
Middletown
“We played amazing for our first match,” Middletown head coach Tracey Kucer said of the Mustangs’ initial effort of 2021. “Only one of our players has any experience. All the rest are new.”
The team’s lone veteran, Paige Astley, is playing singles for the first time and her debut was a successful one as she rallied past Macie McPherson 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in No. 1 singles.
“She did amazing,” Kucer said of Astley. “Her serve was great. It took her that first set to settle down and feel comfortable.”
Middletown didn’t win another match but put up a pretty good fight, according to Kucer.
Lara Patterson dropped a 6-1, 6-0 decision to Will Garrett in second singles, a match that was more competitive than the final score indicates, according to Kucer.
“The score really doesn’t do it justice,” Kucer said. “There were a lot of rallies, a lot of great, long rallies.”
In third singles, Sophie Kucer lost a three-set decision to the Saints’ Will Kakter, who prevailed 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
“They went back and forth,” Kucer said. “They kept breaking each other’s serve in the third set.”
In doubles action, St. Helena’s Audie Novak and Loren Maher prevailed 6-4, 6-4 over Joe and John Reynoso in No. 1 doubles. Middletown’s Olivia Kucer and Reese Caldwell also battled in No. 2 doubles before dropping a 7-6, 6-1 decision.
Middletown’s Hannah Ryan and Alex Imbrunetti also participated in an exhibition doubles match.
“I was so impressed with how well they played,” Kucer said of the Mustangs’ overall effort against St. Helena, traditionally one of the strongest teams in the conference.
Kelseyville
The Kelseyville Knights won both doubles matches but came up empty in singles play in their season debut at Cloverdale.
“We played really good actually,” Kelseyville co-head coach Iris Angeleri said. “There were lots of close points and games. Only three of our players are returning, so for the majority of the team this was their first year every playing tennis and first official match.”
Winning in doubles were Hanna Scully and Rylan Lipscomb, 6-0, 6-0 over Citali Lopez and Seth Daimel in No. 1 doubles, and Samantha Carter and Maddy Madrzyk, 6-2, 6-2 over Grace Kelsey and Gracie Mcnulty in No. 2 doubles.
Cloverdale won each of the three singles matches in straight sets as well. Arizbeth Gomz defeated Johnny Rixen 6-2, 6-2 in No. 1 singles, Alexi Leyva beat Larue Furlani 6-1, 6-3 in No. 2 singles, and Grace Messenger defeated Ryann Taylor 6-2, 6-3 in No. 3 singles.
Schedule
Middletown hosts Cloverdale and Kelseyville hosts St. Helena on Friday at 4 p.m.
