Close game ends with first win for the Lady Raiders

ROCKINGHAM – There was a lot of competitive tennis played Tuesday, and the Lady Raiders tennis team was among the winners.

In the scheduled doubleheader with Hoke County High School, Richmond and the Lady Bucks only had enough daylight for one game.

In singles and doubles play, the Lady Raiders won a narrow 5-4 victory, their first of the season.

Richmond took the lead with four wins in six singles matches and finished with a win in one of the three doubles events.

Three of the Lady Raiders’ returning starters earned a win – senior Hanna Smith, junior Jentry Denson and sophomore Colbie Covington. The other win went to senior Ava Thompson, her first career victory.

“It’s great to get on the winning track as a team,” said head coach Jessica Covington. “The girls have worked so hard all season and that work paid off against a strong Hoke County team. Winning four individual matches proved to be very helpful for us.”

“We were more aggressive today and that was key for the girls to hit better shots,” she added. “It was good to get into a rhythm even though we didn’t have our best doubles matches. Hopefully we can continue to build momentum from here.”

In the No. 1 singles match, Smith scored the team’s only clean sheet of the day, defeating Kalea Parker 8-0 for her first singles victory of the fall.

Trading points with their opponents, No. 2 Denson and No. 4 Covington defeated Azari McLean and Hera Lin 8-4 and 8-5, respectively. It was Covington’s second singles win of the season and Denson’s first.

Richmond’s other singles win came from Thompson, 8-2, who easily overtook Razia Cabero.

No. 3 Madison Grimes and No. 5 Kenleigh Parker, both seniors, lost 8-1 and 8-0 to Laura Pena and Fa’alentiono Lin, respectively.

Smith and Denson teamed up for Richmond’s final and game-winning doubles win. In the No. 1 doubles match, Smith and Denson defeated Parker and Pena 8-5.

Parker and Thompson forced a tiebreak against F. Lin and Cabero in No. 3 doubles, but lost 10-4. Grimes and Covington also fell short of expectations in doubles, losing 8-4 to McLean and H. Lin.

The Lady Raiders (1-2) have the rest of the week off. Their game against Union Pines High School scheduled for Thursday has been postponed.

Richmond and Hoke County will play their second game in a doubleheader later this season, Covington said.

PHOTOS: Click here to view photos from Tuesday’s home opener.