PREP GIRLS TENNIS: Western takes title in playoff

By Scott Ratcliffe Daily Progress correspondent
Published: May 11, 2008

Western Albemarle and Monticello squared off in a do-or-die tiebreaker match to decide who would secure the top seed in Monday’s Jefferson District tournament on Saturday. After splitting the season series the teams were tied, but in the rubber match, Western prevailed, 6-1.
In their third meeting in just 12 days against the Mustangs, Western swept all three doubles matches on Friday night before the rain suspended play. The Warriors needed just two wins out of six singles matches to notch a victory Saturday. WAHS coach Betsy Nugent was happy going into Saturday’s play having a leg up on the Mustangs.
“We’ve been improving every week in singles against this team,” Nugent said. “We knew it would take a little pressure off if we won all three doubles matches.”
In Saturday’s feature match, the Warriors’ star senior Shannon Bayliss not only wanted to help win for her team, but she wanted to avenge a pair of earlier defeats at the hands of Monticello’s Amanda Wagner. Bayliss redeemed herself Saturday, winning 10-3. The two have been playing tennis against each other for years and are used to seeing each other on the other side of the net.
“We’ve known each other for a really long time and I know I can beat her and she knows she can beat me,” Bayliss said.
Monticello coach Mike Mountjoy was aware that his team had a hill to climb, having to win five of the six matches.
“We certainly had a deficit to overcome and had a big challenge in front of us when we entered today,” Mountjoy said.
Nugent was glad that her senior leader came to play despite the holdover effect.
“Shannon tends to rise to the occasion, and this was definitely her biggest match,” said Nugent.
Mountjoy’s program is on the rise, and appears eager to face the Warriors for a fourth time the Jefferson District tournament title. They will need to defeat Louisa County in the opening round of the districts on Monday at Piedmont. If they prevail over the Lions, they will likely get another shot at dethroning the long-time champs.
“I’d be surprised if we don’t see them again on Tuesday,” Bayliss said. “It’s only made both teams better by playing so much.”
After falling short in the regional finals the past few years, the Warriors hope to obtain home court advantage in this year’s regional tournament with a victory on Tuesday. Bayliss and her teammates know that all their hard work could pay off down the stretch.
“If we can sweep doubles every time, it puts us in such a good position, and that’s what we stress at practice every day and we practice it so much, so I think we have a good shot,” Bayliss said.