Spring Creek’s Linna Kornegay returns a shot against Princeton in their opening-round doubles match in the Neuse Six 2A tournament played at Herman Park. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Kennedy Denton stretches to return a point against Princeton in their opening-round doubles match in the Neuse Six 2A tournament played at Herman Park in Goldsboro. Denton and doubles mate Linna Kornegay lost 8-2. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Katelyn Harrison, left, and Janice Lopez, right, tap rackets after winning a point during early-set action against Princeton. Harrison-Lopez qualified for the NC High School Athletic Association east 2A regional after a fourth-place finish in doubles during the Neuse Six 2A tournament. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Emily Williams stretches to return a shot against Beddingfield’s Camilla Rios during their first-round singles match in the Neuse Six 2A girls’ tennis tournament Wednesday morning. Williams finished runner-up and qualified for the NC High School Athletic Association east 2A regional. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Emma Gainey returns a shot against Princeton’s Lauren Pate during their first-round singles match in the Neuse Six 2A girls’ tennis tournament Wednesday morning. Gainey finished fourth and qualified for the NC High School Athletic Association east 2A regional. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
GOLDSBORO — Spring Creek continued its most-successful girls’ tennis campaign in recent memory with a strong performance during the season-ending Neuse Six 2A girls’ tennis tournament Wednesday morning.
Seniors Emily Williams and Emma Gainey qualified for the NC High School Athletic Association eastern 2A regional in singles. The Gators’ tandem of Janice Lopez and Katelynn Harris punched their ticket in doubles.
“It was fantastic getting four players qualified for the regionals,” SC head coach Robert Jones said. “I was hoping for all six, but it wasn’t meant to be. Both Emily and Emma ran into tough opponents in their last match, but played their best and that’s what counts.”
Seeded No. 2, Williams (10-3 overall) posted back-to-back, 8-0 shutouts over Beddingfield’s Camilla Rios-Macedo and North Johnston’s Maryalis Jimenez Rodriguez.
Long-time childhood friend Emily Scott of North Johnston ended Williams’ nine-match win streak with an 8-0 victory in the championship match.
Gainey, seeded among the top four, launched tournament play with an 8-0 conquest of Princeton’s Lauren Pate. Scott dropped back-to-back matches against the Panthers’ Scott (0-8) and Jimenez (2-8), and clinched the fourth regional berth.
SC’s tandem of Lopez-Harrison pulled out a back-and-forth, 8-6 win over Princeton’s Anna Smiley-Daytona Mix. Lopez-Harrison fell to eventual Neuse Six champions Camden Ford-Sydney Daughtry (0-8) and wound up fourth overall after an 8-2 loss to Princeton’s Abi Daughtry-Kenzie Mills in consolation-round play.
Daughtry-Mills eliminated the Gators’ duo of Kennedy Denton-Linna Kornegay, 8-2, in opening-round play on the Herman Park courts.
Spring Creek (8-3 overall) returns to action in the NCHSAA 2A dual-team playoffs next week. It’s the Gators’ first postseason trip since 2013 and ninth overall in program history.
