Kirksville slips past Hickman

Nobody likes to lose, and the Hickman tennis team is no exception. Don’t expect the Kewpies to throw their rackets because of a losing streak, though.

Hickman fell 5-4 to Kirksville on Thursday, but there was more enthusiasm than frustration afterward.

“I was happy,” Katie Glenn, the Kewpies’ No. 1 singles player, said. “I mean, I was disappointed we lost, but we all made an effort.”

Coach Jerry Price pointed to last year’s 8-1 loss to the Tigers. He said he was happy with the results considering Kirksville returned essentially the same lineup.

Hickman (3-8) relied primarily on singles to close the gap. In a back-and-forth match at No. 1, Glenn outlasted Amy Ochs 10-8. Ochs led through much of the match, using powerful ground strokes to control the points, but Price said he picked up on a nuance in Ochs’ grip and advised Glenn on a strategy adjustment.

“If you just rally with her she’ll hit the ball out, so I figured keep it in, don’t try to put anything on it, and if she makes a mistake I’ll get the point,” Glenn said. “I’ve played her before and I lost pretty bad, so I was pretty happy that I won.”

Hickman’s No. 2 player, Carrie Ingersoll, won her match with Samantha McClure 10-3. Price said Ingersoll, a freshman, continues to impress him with her play.

“I don’t think it was an easy win; she made it look easy, but she played a very good player,” Price said. “The fact that she came out and dominated so much speaks a lot to Carrie’s potential. It also speaks a whole lot to her competitiveness on the court.”

One key for both of Hickman’s top singles players was their service game. Glenn didn’t double fault once, and Ingersoll showed the results of a season-long goal of improving her serve.

“I just think I’ve improved my serve a lot, because before when I served it, it would barely go in the box, but now it’s much better,” Ingersoll said.

Kirsten Seaberg also won (10-7) at No. 4 singles.