SCHS Girl’s Tennis Continues to Make Progress

South Central girl’s tennis head coach Stephanie Salisbury is happy with the progress the Lady Timberwolves have made in their recent matches.

On Sept. 17, the Lady Timberwolves sent some players to a junior varsity tournament in Pratt to gain some experience. Nevaeh Pankrat played her first action at No. 1 singles and finished 1-2 for the day.

“She battled through several matches that included long deuce points, including an incredibly close 6-5 loss to Larned,” Salisbury said. “For a player making her singles debut, Nevaeh showed a tremendous amount of fight and determination.”

Alyson Harrel played No. 2 singles and lost one match, then withdrew for medical reasons. Aileny Zarate and Sydney Sanchez played No. 1 doubles and finished 1-2, losing a close match to Dodge City 6-4 and showing improvement, Salisbury said. Tegahann Shanniak and Sienna Miller played No. 2 doubles and went 1-2, including a 6-1 win over South Barber.

From there, the Lady Timberwolves attended a tournament in Meade Sept. 22. Fabiola Rivero went 0-2 in her No. 1 singles matches, but Salisbury said the record didn’t tell the whole story.

“Both matches were extremely competitive, and her second match against Ashland lasted nearly two hours,” Salisbury said. “She battled through countless deuce points and continued fighting for every game.”

Mia Napierala finished 3-1 at No. 2 singles, continuing what Salisbury said has been an impressive season. Napierala finished second for the day.

Max Miller and Pankrat played No. 1 doubles and, while finishing 0-3, the head coach said they gained valuable experience. Zarate and Sanchez played No. 2 doubles and Salisbury was happy with how they continue to grow as a team, even though they went 0-4.

South Central then attended the Chaparral tournament on Saturday. Napierala took third at No. 2 singles, as did Miller and Pankrat at No. 2 doubles.

“Their performance was especially exciting because of the work they have put in throughout the season,” Salisbury said. “Max and Nevaeh have spent much of the season competing in the No. 1 position, helping create opportunities for other players on our team to gain experience in varsity meets. Seeing that hard work translate into a third-place finish was a great moment for them.”

The head coach said that’s what the season has been about — players stepping into new positions, gaining experience against strong competition and finding a way to come back after losing a close match.

“My one ask for every player is that they do not quit,” Salisbury said. “They play with the same energy and zeal for the first and last point of every match.”

The Lady Timberwolves will head to Dodge City for a tournament Saturday, then play in the Southern Plains League tournament Monday at Kiowa County High School. From there, South Central will head to the Regional tournament Oct. 9-10 at Conway Springs.

“As we head into the final three meets of the regular season, we’re beginning to see the bigger picture come together,” Salisbury said. “We’re setting our regional roster with significant opportunity for seeding and placement. Fabiola currently sits at 4-6, putting her in position to potentially earn a Regional seed. Mia is sitting at an impressive 11-4, also putting herself in a strong position for potential seeding.”

She said the weather in the coming days may make things challenging, both with practice time and match play. But the head coach said the team has learned to adapt.

“We’ve practiced wherever we could, competed through difficult conditions, and found ways to keep moving forward,” Salisbury said. “We need to finish the regular season so that we are in a competitive position for postseason. We still have work to do and matches to play.”