In a battle of state-ranked girls’ tennis teams, 17th-ranked Delta fought past 15th-ranked Fort Wayne Canterbury for a 3-2 victory on Saturday morning in the Eagle Round Robin.
Sophomore Mayzie Hinkle at No. 3 singles won easily, as did senior Abby Shafer and junior Emma Snider at No. 1 doubles. Juniors Lexie Manor and Kortney Helm then clinched the team victory with a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles.
The Eagles then played another strong match in a 5-0 shutout victory over Terre Haute North, one of only two teams to beat Delta last season. Sophomore Ellie Snider led the way at No. 1 singles with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over a strong senior opponent. Junior Grace Belangee posted a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 2 singles over a senior who beat her a year ago.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, the final round of the invitational did not go as well. The 80-degree heat and humidity took a toll on Ellie Snider, who suffered leg cramps between the second and third rounds. With two varsity players out of the lineup, the Eagles lost 4-1 to tournament champion West Lafayette.
West Lafayette, now 8-1 on the season, won very tight matches at No. 1 singles and No. 3 singles and both doubles were competitive as well. Belangee was the only winner for the Eagles at No. 2 singles.
Delta (3-1) will play in a JV only match at Yorktown on Monday evening, then host a strong Muncie Burris team at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday before traveling to Mt. Vernon on Wednesday. Mt. Vernon is likely to be state-ranked when the new Top 30 poll is released on Tuesday as the Marauders are off to one of the best starts in school history.