Roundup: GHS Girls Tennis Moving On - Gainesville Tennis | Gainesville, FL Tennis Calendar, News & Events - Gainesville Tennis | Gainesville Area Community Tennis Association (GACTA) | Gainesville, FL

By Cliff Olsen, Gainesville Sun Correspondent

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110412/ARTICLES/110419815

Published April 12, 2011

The Gainesville High School girls tennis team, in the regional playoffs for the first time since 2008, notched its first postseason win since that year on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes went on the road and knocked off St. Augustine 4-3, in a Class 3A, Region 2 first-round match.

Eve Sampson and Sarah Lima each picked up straight-set wins at No. 1 and No. 4 singles respectively. Madison Parenti needed three sets to win at No. 5 singles, while the Hurricanes’ No. 2 doubles team of Lima and Brianna Harper were also victorious in straight sets.

GHS (6-7) will travel to district-rival Columbia for Thursday’s second-round.

“I am very proud and I am very happy for them,” GHS coach Debra Rhinesmith said. “They worked hard for it.”

Columbia 7, St. Augustine Pedro Menendez 0: The Tigers, who reached the state tournament a year ago, opened the regional playoffs for the second straight year with a win over the Falcons.

Columbia did not drop a set in its Class 3A, Region 2 first-round win.

Chrissie Reichert, Susy Romero, Kelsey Mercer, Jessie Bates and Heather Benson each posted wins at each of the five singles positions. Reichert and Romero won at No. 1 doubles, while Mercer and Taylor Owens won at No. 2 doubles for Columbia (12-2).

“They are just really motivated to get back to state again,” Columbia coach Tabatha McMahon said. “It was effortless and they played some of the best tennis they have played all year.”

Jacksonvile Episcopal 5, Oak Hall 0: Oak Hall’s girls tennis team, which reached the regional playoffs for the first time since 2007, fell in their Class 1A, Region 2 first-round match on Tuesday.

Episcopal clinched the win as it claimed each of the five singles positions.

Boys

Jacksonville Episcopal 4, Oak Hall 3: The Oak Hall boys tennis team , which was looking for its first opening-round win since defeating Episcopal in 2006, fell to the Jacksonville school in Tuesday’s Class 1A, Region 2 first-round match.

Tyler Werbel won at No. 1 singles and played with Zach Thibault to post a win at No. 1 doubles, but it wasn’t enough for Oak Hall (6-9). Alvin Wang and Apurv Suman also won at No. 2 doubles for Oak Hall.