As is tradition, the CHS girls tennis team started its season off this weekend at the Joplin Interstate Championships tournament. Since MSHSAA does not allow tennis teams to play in scrimmages or jamborees in the preseason, the Lady Hornets always attend this tournament on the first day of eligibility in order to play six matches in two days before starting to see MEC opponents next week. This year, the tournament grew from 24 teams to 32 teams hailing from Missouri and Arkansas.
Friday was a beautiful, cool day of tennis structured in pool play all morning. Chillicothe faced off with three singles players and four doubles players in mini-team duals against Joplin High School, Branson High School, and Rogers, Arkansas — all of which were Class III teams, which is the largest possible class in MO tennis compared to Chillicothe’s Class I status. Coach Chambers explains, “We are always willing to face off against these huge high schools early in the season to gather much needed experience for our new varsity players before they face important conference/district rival Savannah just five days later.” The results of Friday’s pool play then determined which of four 8-team brackets each school played in on Saturday for final standings.
Chillicothe brought a young, excited new team with six fresh varsity players and only one veteran player. Sophomore #1 player Lexy Smith made her debut to lead the team while her frequent doubles partner junior #2 player Lydia Bonderer played with her multiple times as well. Senior #3 player Summer Gatson served as the team’s returning, solid, experienced veteran varsity player. The other three newbie varsity starters included seniors #4 Rian Mathews and #5 Trixie Leppin and junior #6 Anya Moore. Finally, to guarantee no tie scores, every team brought their #7 player, which meant senior Helena England also got to make her varsity debut this weekend. By the end of the weekend, the lady hornets finished 2-4 as a team, which is the most weekend wins the team has been able to secure at this tournament to date.
Overall results were as follows:
Joplin 4 – Chillicothe 1
Lexy Smith lost 2-8 against Lylah Fry
Lydia Bonderer won 8-2 over Lily Compton
Helena England lost 5-8 against Pearl Gaines
Summer Gatson & Anya Moore lost 4-8 against Julia Reyes-Alvarado & Kylea Thullesen
Rian Mathews & Trixie Leppin lost 7-9 against Elaina Ramos & Louisa Curchan
Branson 5 – Chillicothe 0
Summer Gatson lost 3-8 against Ellice Kembell
Anya Moore lost 3-8 against Claire Cofer
Helena England lost 2-8 against Saray Caceres Alvarez 2-8
Lexy Smith & Lydia Bonderer lost 4-8 against Chloe Bunce & Laney Woodard
Rian Mathews & Trixie Leppin lost 4-8 against Millie Stauffer & Sidny Pinkerman
Rogers 3 – Chillicothe 2
Rian Mathews lost 2-8 against Kambrie Pareida
Trixie Leppin lost 7-9 against Abby Robinson
Helena England lost 3-8 against Paloma Mundo
Lexy Smith & Lydia Bonderer won 8-2 over Presleigh Gittins & Lilah Nuna
Summer Gatson & Anya Moore won by forfeit in the #2 doubles slot
Willow Springs 3 – Chillicothe 2
Lexy Smith lost 7-9 against Hoskins
Lydia Bonder won 8-4 over Sarta
Helena England lost 6-8 against Lakey
Summer Gatson & Anya Moore won 9-7 over Cochran & Space
Rian Mathews & Trixie Leppin lost 5-8 against Johnson & Unruh
Carthage 1 – Chillicothe 4
Summer Gatson won 9-7 over Aubrey Jewett
Rian Mathews won 8-3 over Chloe Maturino
Helena England won 8-3 over Layla Carey
Lexy Smith & Lydia Bonderer won 8-8 (tiebreak 7-1) over Flannery Shelfer & Hayden Lawyer
Trixie Leppin & Anya Moore lost 8-8 (tiebreak 8-10) over Gracelynn Dougless & Maddy Reed
Reed Springs 1 – Chillicothe 4
Trixie Leppin lost 2-8 against Vera Holland
Anya Moore won 8-2 over Sidney Love
Helena England won 8-0 over Natalynn Hundley
Lexy Smith & Lydia Bonderer won 8-2 over Chloe Clevenger & Addy Moore
Summer Gatson & Rian Mathews won 8-1 over Autumn Tharp & Chloe Duncan