By JOHN McCALLUM
Editor
The Cheney girls’ tennis team
is struggling with consistency,
although for head coach Corey
Anderson, there are signs that
may change.
Cheney dropped both matches
last week, 7-0 to Medical Lake
on Tuesday and 6-1 at home to
Pullman on Thursday.
In singles action at Medical
Lake Michelle Passey lost 1-6,
2-6 to Danielle Von Lehe at No.
1, with Alla Chekulayeva coming
up a couple service breaks
short at No. 2, losing 5-7, 4-6 to
Heather Butler. Abi Smith lost
to Lynsey Abbott 0-6, 1-6 at No.
3 and Caitlyn Miller suffered a
similar fate as Chekulayeva in
falling 4-6, 4-6 to Angelica Ploegman
at No. 4.
In doubles, Alyssa Bray and
Jessica Ziemann lost 1-6, 4-6 to
Kylie Tareski and Nissa Van Meter
at No. 1, Michelle Celone and
Melissa Jamison also couldn’t
get a break in falling 4-6, 4-6 to
Jessica Kauffman and Brianna
Vinson at No. 2 with Crystal
Feller and Nycole Morgan going
down 1-6, 3-6 to Christie Kauffman
and Cassi Nilles at No. 3.
Thursday against Pullman
the Blackhawks experienced the
same thing they did at Medical
Lake – coming a break or two
short of wins. The lone high
point came at No. 3 singles
where Smith played with great
top spin on the ball and kept her
rallies deep in beating Milly Xun
in straight sets 7-5, 5-1. The second
set was abbreviated when
Xun conceded the match after
game six.
“Abi just played out of her
mind, she really did,†Anderson
said.
Ziemann stepped into the
singles court against the Greyhounds,
losing 1-6, 0-6 to Emily
Funabiki at No. 1; Chekulayeva
played a better second set in losing
1-6, 4-6 to Hannah Adams
at No. 2 with freshman Holley
Passey coming up a couple
breaks short in her second varsity
outing in losing 4-6, 4-6 to
Brilliana Hou at No. 4.
S i s t e r M i c h e l l e P a s s e y
teamed with Bray at No. 1 doubles,
losing 2-6, 4-6 to Viviana
Barona and Melissa Vollmer.
The hard-luck match of the day
award might go to Celone and
Jamison, facing Rachel Mathison
and Megan Lam at No.
2. The Blackhawks duo lost a
hard-fought first set 6-7 (10-2),
then held off Pullman 7-5 in the
second, only to see shots that
were dropping earlier come up
just short in losing 2-6 in the
third.
Feller and Miller lost 1-6, 1-6
to Vishaka Muhunthan and Sam
Hruban at No. 3.
The losses drop Cheney to
2-6 in GNL play. Anderson said
despite the losses he is encouraged
by how well his players are
beginning to understand good
court usage and their increasing
ability to make adjustments in
their game on the fly.
Right now the Blackhawks
are suffering from inconsistency,
particularly in holding
serve, something that will hopefully
come with court time.
“Drop a service game and
there it (the match) goes,†Anderson
said.
Cheney faced Colville Monday
and West Valley on Tuesday,
and finishes the week this
Friday and Saturday in the
annual Inland Empire Tournament
at numerous high school
locations in Spokane and Spokane
Valley.
John McCallum can be reached at
jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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