ROSSFORD — Rossford third-year girls tennis coach Tim Edmond’s team returns from a 6-8 season last year with three letter winners.
The good news for Rossford is that the two new Northern Buckeye Conference members, Maumee and Oak Harbor, support tennis programs, plus Fostoria also has a program.
The bad news is the NBC requires five schools before the league can sanction a championship. Coaches are currently reaching out to see if there is any interest at Eastwood, Otsego, Lake or Genoa to begin a tennis program so the league can sanction the sport.
“Without a league to play in we play an independent schedule,” Edmond said. “We are looking forward to this year and brand-new facilities — the program has grown during the last three years, and we hope it continues.”
Returning letter winners include seniors Emily McConoha and Caitylyn Bieganowski and junior Amy Claypool. Edmond says they will fill the three singles spots in that order.
Edmond says the other four are brand new to tennis and include senior Kaylnn Barrett, juniors Sophia Sizemore and Samantha Maenle and sophomore Rileigh Clair.
“This will be a learning year for many as they begin playing tennis,” Edmond said. “I look for my singles players to be very competitive as the season continues.
“Amy Claypool is our most improved player from last year and we look for good things from here. Emily and Caitlyn bring experience and good abilities and will make this a memorable senior year.
“I expect us to continue to improve as the year goes on and hopefully end the season playing our best tennis.
“Our strength will be in singles and our weakness will be our inexperience. We have nowhere to go but up as we progress,” Edmond added.
The Bulldogs had a rough start, falling to Maumee, 5-0, and to Toledo Christian, 4-0-1, on Toledo’s Christian’s courts on Tuesday.
Against Maumee, Sam Mavis defeated McConoha, 6-0, 6-1, Caris Wedge defeated Biaganowski, 6-3, 6-1, and Alex Ybarra defeated Claypool, 6-0, 6-0, in singles.
In first doubles, Maumee’s Kemi Adeyemo and Mena Schlumbaum defeated Sizemore and Clair, 6-0, 6-0, and in second doubles, Kiersten Krout and Laurel Patrick swept Maenle and Barrett, 6-0, 6-0.
Against TC, Siana Wensick defeated Bieganowski in a tight match, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), McGivery downed Claypool in another thriller, 5-7, 6-4 (10-7), and Madison Taylor defeated Sizemore, 6-2, 6-0 in singles.
In doubles, TC’s MacKenzie Hutton and Sautter Hurner defeated Maenle and Clair, 6-2, 6-0. There was no second doubles match.
