AHS Lady Netters Stand Alone Atop BRD With Win Over Vikings

LOW MOOR – Don’t look now …

Check that, it’s OK, go ahead and look.

The Blue Ridge District girls tennis standings have a new look to them.

On top – the Alleghany Mountaineers.

Tuesday at Clifton Middle School, Alleghany completed what only a few years ago would have been thought to be impossible – a two-day sweep of Roanoke.

After nipping William Byrd on Monday, 5-4, the Mountaineers put on a doubles clinic Tuesday, in posting a 6-3 victory over Northside.

Tied at 3-all after the six singles matches, Alleghany won all three doubles bouts by identical 8-3 scores to run their record to a perfect 9-0 on the year, 4-0 in the Blue Ridge District.

The Mountaineers are one match ahead of the Terriers (3-1) and two up on the Vikings (2-2) with four district matches remaining.

“We’ve always been a little intimidated by the Roanoke schools,” said Jackie Almarode, the only coach the program has known since its inception in 2004. “A lot of those girls get private lessons that our girls just don’t have access to.”

That intimidation factor started to fade a bit a year ago, when the group topped William Byrd.

It has all but been erased in the last two evenings.

“It’s a highlight,” Almarode said of her team’s latest wins. “It’s also a very big confidence booster.”

Tiffany Thompson, the No. 2 player in the Mountaineer line-up, joined No. 3 Alex Chrisco and No. 5 Loren Conner in getting singles wins on Tuesday.

Chrisco made quick work of Shannon Myers, 6-0, 6-0, Thompson outlasted Bekah Washington in a battle of strong ground strokes, 6-3, 6-3, and Conner nipped Lauren Grisso in a third-set super tiebreak, 10-6.

The hosts needed to win two of the three doubles and did one better.

Rachelle Casstevens, the only underclassmen in Alleghany’s starting six, joined Thompson in winning at No. 1 doubles, Chrisco and Emily Lewis posted a victory at No. 2, and Conner and Esther Allman teamed up for a win at No. 3.

“They were tired but played exceptionally well,” said Almarode of her team. “I had no idea we would sweep the doubles, but we did.”

Northside is coached by veteran Viking boys basketball coach Billy Pope and former Covington High School tennis coach Chuck Lockard.

“This could be Alleghany’s year,” said Lockard, who coached at CHS in the late 70’s. “We thought they would be pretty good.”
Alleghany’s Sarah King posted a district singles championship in 2005, but the Mountaineers have never won a district team crown.

They are halfway there.

“I have told the girls the last couple of years just to hang in there,” Almarode added. “Not only have they hung in there, they have had fun and worked really hard.

“The program has grown. I think we had 10 girls the first year and this year we had 24 girls go out for the team. The interest has definitely grown.”

The next step for the Mountaineers is a road match at Hollins University Thursday against Lord Botetourt.

Whatever happens the final few weeks of the season, the team has set a school-record for team wins.

“They are just gutsy kids, I can’t say enough about them,” Almarode finished. “What an amazing group of girls. I feel honored to be their coach.”

SINGLES SUMMARY

Kelsie Hendren (N) d. Rachelle Casstevens, 6-4, 2-6, 10-2

Tiffany Thompson (A) d. Bekah Washington, 6-3, 6-3

Alex Chrisco (A) d. Shannon Myers, 6-0, 6-0

Samantha Nyugen (N) d. Emily Lewis, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)

Loren Conner (A) d. Lauren Grisso, 4-6, 6-4, 10-6

Lexie Burrzanka (N) d. Dawn Dulaney, 7-5, 0-6, 10-6

DOUBLES SUMMARY

Casstevens and Thompson (A) d. Hendren and Washington, 8-3

Chrisco and Lewis (A) d. Myers and Nyugen, 8-3

Esther Allman and Conner (A) d. Grisso and Burzanka, 8-3