Powering through

Edwards’ win at No. 3 singles lifts Pennsville over Schalick in early county showdown, Woodstown sweeps past Penns Grove

THURSDAY GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville 3, Schalick 2
Woodstown 5, Penns Grove 0

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – Lily Edwards was playing on the farthest of the singles courts in the Schalick tennis complex. There were a handful of spectators on the other side of the fence when she started, but each time she dared look away from the match she noticed more and more people gathering in her little corner of the world so she figured something was up with her match.

It was only the pivotal point of the day.

Edwards won the point at No. 3 singles to clinch undefeated Pennsville’s 3-2 victory over Schalick Thursday in the first leg of what figures to be an intriguing battle among the two teams and Woodstown for supremacy in South Jersey Group I girls tennis.

She handed Miya Watkins her first loss since last year’s state team semifinals 6-3, 6-1 after her Eagles teammates swept both doubles points and Schalick’s Emma Adams and Allyson Green won the first two singles points.

“I did feel that way, honestly,” she said. “I didn’t before I started the match, but we were playing and I did feel that way because everyone was watching me and I could tell (it was an important point). I had like a feeling.”

Actually, the win, her sixth of the year (all in straight sets) and 17th in a row at No. 3 singles over the last two seasons, came at a time she admitted to battling a slump for the first time in her career. She has only lost two matches (with one draw) in 44 varsity starts, but there was just something unfulfilling about her recent success.

“At practice I was just struggling,” she said. “Just hitting the ball and making sure my mechanics are right and I’m hitting it the right way and I was struggling. It’s really stressful because it gets in your head and you have to fight through it… but I came out of it today.

“We all were a little nervous because Schalick is our big competition, but I came out with a positive attitude and fought my way through it.”

It pains Eagles coach Dan LaMont to see his players struggle. He could sense his steady junior’s frustration and had a simple solution – just get out of your head and play your normal aggressive game.

“She does hit a nice tennis ball, but sometimes there are little things we have to correct,” he said. “We worked on it and then we kind of just said let’s keep it simple. Don’t think too much about this. Roll balls back. Be you.

“I told her you’ve won a lot of matches in your three years, let’s remember how you did that. And she did today. She had to, because that girl was tough.”

PENNSVILLE 3, SCHALICK 2
Emma Adams (S) def. Megan Morris, 6-4, 6-4
Allyson Green (S) def. Regan Witt, 6-4, 6-0
Lily Edwards (P) def. Miya Watkins, 6-3, 6-1
Emma Cornette-Gabi Farino (P) def. Julia Langley-Helana Tyers, 6-1, 6-4
Naomi Hess-Isabell Schrenker (P) def. Kayleigh Veach-Annie Podeh, 6-2, 6-1
Records: Pennsville 6-0, Schalick 3-1

WOODSTOWN 5, PENNS GROVE 0
Aubrie Rennie (Wo) def. Alease Stewart, 6-0, 6-0
Leah Waterman (Wo) def. Janiyah Cummings, 6-0, 6-0
EvaLouise Thomsen (Wo) def. Elif Sagir, 6-0, 6-0
Julianna Lindenmuth-Noelle Neron (Wo) won by forfeit
Alyssa Berry-Melissa Hassler (Wo) won by forfeit
Records: Woodstown 3-1, Penns Grove 0-3.