Lady Jackets clinch trip to Final Four
Calhoun girls beat Pace Academy to advance
The Calhoun Lady Jackets are headed to just their second Final Four in program history after an impressive performance on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lady Jackets defeated Pace Academy 3-0 in their Class AAA Elite Eight matchup by sweeping all three singles spots. No. 3 singles player Emma King clinched the victory with a 6-1, 6-2 win for the decisive third point in the match.
Calhoun coach Robin Proffitt said she was pleased with how her team responded to the challenge and are now among the final four teams left playing in Class AAA because of it.
“We’re very excited,” said Proffitt. “We couldn’t be more proud of our girls. We knew it was going to be a tough match and we had to come out focused. Every line was moving and ready to play.
“The girls stepped up today because they knew it was going to be tougher and one of the best teams we’ve played against all year. We always feel confident in all of our players, and once McCartney (Kessler) and Carly (Briggs) won at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, Emma knew it was her turn to finish things off. And even our doubles got settled in and were playing well too. For Emma to be a freshman and play the way she did today is great. I feel like she’s our most improved player from the first of the season to now.”
Calhoun (19-1) will now host Lovett in the Final Four with a date and time to be announced. The Lady Jackets will be playing in the Final Four for the second time, with the other appearance coming in 2015.
The match started off on Wednesday with McCartney Kessler putting Calhoun up 1-0 with a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 1 singles. Carly Briggs quickly followed with a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles to set up King to clinch the match at No. 3.
The No. 1 doubles team of Marlee Nichelson and Jalen Holland won their first set 6-4 and were up in the second set when as well when the match was pulled with the team result no longer in doubt. The No. 2 team of Sammy Bramlett and Molly Mashburn dropped their first set, but rallied in the second set to make it competitive before their match was pulled also.
Proffitt said her team is ready to keep the playoff run going in the next round as they attempt to earn a spot in the State Championship Match for the first time in program history.
“The girls feel good,” said Proffitt. “They knew this was a hurdle they had to get over and beating a team like Pace Academy gives them even more confidence. So we feel confident going to play in the Final Four, but we still have to come out and play with the same intensity and keep this momentum going.”