The Dysart Demons beat the Marcos de Niza Lady Padres in girls tennis yesterday to win their fifth match of the year, and leave the Padres still searching for their first win.

 

The Marcos de Niza Lady Padres came into the matchup off a 7-2 loss to Moon Valley in their season opener while Dysart was already four and one to open their season.

 

Dysart was also coming off a loss. The Demons looked to get their season back on track as well.

 

It had been more than two weeks since the Marcos de Niza team had played. Coach Brian Blackwelder talked about the struggle of the two week spring break, as well as scheduling matches. “By this time last season most of our season was done,” he said.

 

Usually the teams will start with singles but due to the blistering heat, the home Lady Padres decided to send out the doubles matches first to save the sundown for singles. 

 

Dysart got off to a hot start with their number one doubles team of juniors, Yen Doan and Miley Savage, winning 8-3 in a pro-set to 8 to give the Demons a 1-0 advantage. 

 

Savage, also the Demons number two singles player, took advantage of the doubles alley down the line and cross court the entire match, hitting forehand and backhand winners to shift the momentum early in the set after being broken to open.

 

The Padres would win the last two doubles matches to take the session 2-1, a huge advantage as they only needed to split the singles session to win the overall match. 

 

Freshman Tessa Matherson and Harper Kinsman usually play on junior varsity, but earned their spot in the three for the doubles session and won their match 8-5 to give the advantage to the Lady Padres heading into singles.

 

“I was really happy to get to play varsity and help my team,” said Matherson. Matherson sat out the singles but did her job getting a well-earned point for the varsity team.

 

Two players who faced in the doubles, Yen Doan and Lydia Blackwelder, started the singles session in the number one vs number one tilt.

 

Doan’s 6-3 6-0 win brought her to 2-0 on the day, and with Savage also winning her singles match, that pairing combined for three of the five Dysart points in the overall matchup. That is exactly what you need out of your top two players.

 

“It feels really good to stick it through even when it’s hot,” Doan said. “If you know the shots are gonna go out and you can’t reach them you have to save your energy [in conditions like these].”

 

The match was a complete physical battle from start to finish, and one point deciding the overall match was very fitting in the 95 degree heat.

 

Marcos de Niza is home again against the Eastmark Firebirds and Dysart heads back home to face Raymond S. Kellis, both on Thursday afternoon.