Connersville

The Lady Spartans competed in an eight-team invitational at New Castle. Participating schools included Greensburg, Shenandoah, Connersville, Silver Creek, East Central, Chesterton, Elwood, and host New Castle. The day featured high-quality tennis and strong competition throughout. Heat and fatigue played a significant role as the tournament progressed, but the girls showed heart, determination, and grit from start to finish. I am extremely proud of how they competed and responded in each match. Due to tournament format, third sets were replaced with a 10-point tiebreaker. 1st Round The Lady Spartans battled Silver Creek but fell 2-3 to a fundamentally sound, high-powered team. 1 Singles: Sophia Starr def. Adrienne Bailey 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 10-8 2 Singles: Bella Starr def. Kearstyn Barron 1-6, 6-4, 10-8 3 Singles: Amielya Mays lost to Sophie Potts 1-6, 0-6 1 Doubles: Cam Butts/Trinitee Steel lost to Meredith Conklin/Shauna Lankford 3-6, 3-6 2 Doubles: Maddie Harrison/Ella Miller lost to Emily Dreyer/Madigan Riggs 3-6, 1-6 2nd Round The Lady Spartans faced Shenandoah for the second time this season and came out strong, earning a 4-1 victory. 1 Singles: Sophia Starr lost to Jalyn Pritchett 0-6, 6-3, 1-10 2 Singles: Bella Starr def. Audrey Marion 6-3, 6-2 3 Singles: Amielya Mays def. Brooklyn Busby 3-6, 6-3, 12-10 1 Doubles: Cam Butts/Trinitee Steel def. Rachel Walker/Liz Rice 6-2, 6-0 2 Doubles: Maddie Harrison/Ella Miller def. Annie Burton/Madison Parrish 6-1, 6-1 3rd Round The Lady Spartans faced conference opponent East Central in a preview of their upcoming matchup in three weeks. Despite the toll of the heat and intense competition, the girls continued to battle but fell 1-4. 1 Singles: Sophia Starr def. Maddie Noel 6-3, 6-2 2 Singles: Bella Starr lost to Ava Vogelgesang 5-7, 6-4, 10-12 3 Singles: Amielya Mays lost to Ava Detlaff 0-6, 2-6 1 Doubles: Cam Butts/Trinitee Steel lost to Eva Steinmetz/Rylee Penning 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 5-10 2 Doubles: Maddie Harrison/Ella Miller lost to Allison Carpenter/Renee Leising 3-6, 3-6 The Spartans finished 1-2 on the day, placing 6th in a highly competitive field and moving their overall record to 6-4. The Lady Spartans have a quick turnaround with a three-match homestand this week. They begin Monday hosting Lawrenceburg in an EIAC matchup at 5:00 p.m., followed by Rushville on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. The week concludes Thursday against Richmond at 5:30 p.m., which will also serve as Senior Night as the team honors its seniors and their accomplishments.