Rock Bridge rolls past Hickman

The name of Sarah Seltsam, a Rock Bridge tennis player, was misspelled in a story and photo caption on page 1B on Wednesday. This mistake has been fixed for the web.

Rock Bridge coach Ben Loeb walked to court No. 5 to try to calm Ashley Miles, a sophomore who appeared to be struggling against Hickman’s Kirsten Seaberg.

Loeb reminded Miles to regain composure and refocus. She followed his advice and helped Rock Bridge complete a 9-0 victory against Hickman on Tuesday at Bethel Park.

Miles won 6-2, 6-1 in the closest match.

The Bruins (2-0) lost eight games; Kara Hickey, Whitney Reys, Karla Kruse and Sarah Seltsam didn’t lose a game, and Stephanie Smarr lost one.

Hickman coach Jerry Price was aware that Rock Bridge was going to be a difficult opponent for the Kewpies (2-2).

“Rock Bridge is a pre-eminent team; they’re one of the top teams in the state,”

Price said.

“What you look for when you play a match like this is putting your players out on the court with quality players does nothing but improve their skills. They really have to be as sharp as they can be, and playing a good player elevates your game.”

Hickey, a junior and Rock Bridge’s No. 1 player, was sharp while defeating Tammy Yasar.

Hickey says she doesn’t underestimate any of her opponents.

“It’s important to stay focused no matter who you’re playing; otherwise, it can get away from you,” Hickey said.

Hickey will have to stay focused because the Great 8 Tournament is set for this weekend, bringing in competitive teams such as St. Joseph’s Academy and Pembroke Hills.

“We’ve never won that, never in the history of the Great 8,” Hickey said.

Loeb said he’s looking for his team to improve on a daily basis while maintaining competitiveness and composure. His team will rely on its older leadership for success.

“This is the first year we’ve not had at least one freshman come in and play in the top six in many years,” Loeb said.

Loeb said he believes the hard work his team puts in will pay off the same way it did last year when it won the state championship.

“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve had a lot of kids that have put in the time and effort and done well from the start,” Loeb said.

“Right now we’ve going through a period where we have, for several reasons, put ourselves in a position to have a lot of success. But I don’t think that can last forever.”