Even with a makeshift lineup, Benicia High’s girls tennis team was still able to cruise past the Bethel Jaguars, 9-0, Tuesday afternoon in Vallejo.
Benicia’s usual No. 5 and 6 singles players – Melanie Fisher and Nicole Go – were out with the flu, so the No. 1 doubles team of Gabriella Traver and Katie Voss moved up to fill the void. Both singles stand-ins were magnificent as Traver won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 and Voss won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6.
Benicia head coach Lisa Burton called Lacy Wilburn and Mariah McNalley up from the junior varsity to play No. 3 doubles, and the duo delivered a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
“They had a solid first set, making some remarkable winning returns,” Burton said of Wilburn and McNalley. “The second set proved closer with longer rallies and difficulty breaking their serve, but consistency was on the Panther’s side.”
Benicia’s No. 1 doubles team of Adeline Morley and Maddison Lammert easily won the first set against Bethel’s sister team of Judith and Nicole Perez. Despite falling behind 4-1 in the second set, Morley and Lammert rallied for a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
“Once they started committing to put away volleys and cross-court returns and holding serves, they pulled out of the hole and won the next five games,” Burton noted. “It was an awesome momentum change.”
Michelle Li cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 victory in No. 1 singles. Other singles winners for Benicia included Lily Hayward (6-3, 6-2), Sam Beyer (6-1, 6-1) and Madeline Beyer (6-0, 6-0).
Milagros Esmerode and Magan Klein teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 victory in No. 2 doubles.
Benicia is a perfect 9-0 in the Solano County Athletic Conference, one game ahead of Vanden (8-1) for first place. Benicia hosts Vanden on Thursday afternoon. The Lady Panthers swept Vanden in Fairfield on Sept. 16.
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