Rock Bridge uses four junior varsity players against winless Mexico.
Coach Ben Loeb got a look at his future Rock Bridge tennis team.
Four Bruins, including three freshmen, moved up from the junior varsity and helped the Bruins defeat Mexico 9-0 on Tuesday at Rock Bridge.
The Bruins improved to 5-1 despite playing without four players from last year’s state champion.
Kara Hickey, Stephanie Smarr, Karla Kruse and Whitney Reys, who were absent from the match, make up the Bruins’ top four. Loeb sent them to Wilson’s Beach and Tennis Club, where they scrimmaged one another in singles and doubles matches.
“This gives the younger girls the chance to play varsity,” Loeb said. “I think they’re excited to play and I anticipate that they will play in many more varsity games in their next few years at Rock Bri-dge.”
The freshmen agreed that they were excited, but shouldn’t lose focus against Mexico (0-6).
“I think we played well, but you always have to play your best and at your best level,” Erica Sher said. “You can’t play to your opponent you just have to play your best.”
Said Sarah Ginsburg, “Varsity expects more out of you and now what you do actually counts.”
Ginsburg defeated junior Jordan Tanzey 6-0, 6-0. Sher defeated sophomore Kim Hoagland 6-0, 6-2 and Megan Chann defeated sophomore Jami Smiley 6-0, 6-0.
Ashley Miles, the Bruins’ No. 5 player, was told Monday she was going to play the Bulldogs’ top senior, Julie Williams.
“I was pretty excited to find out I was No. 1,” Miles said. “Once I started warming up the nervousness went away and I just concentrated on playing.”
Miles defeated Williams 6-1, 6-1.
Bruins junior Sarah Seltsam played at No. 2, defeating sophomore Haley Graham 6-0, 6-1.
Freshmen Rachel Drennan and Rachael Dillon defeated Mexico’s Amy LeCount and Liz Hamlett 6-3, 6-2 in the closest match.