Plymouth beats Northridge
PLYMOUTH — The top two Northern Lakes Conference girls tennis teams — Plymouth and Northridge - met Friday afternoon at the Mary Beth Hunter Tennis Complex and gave the fans that braved the cold and windy conditions the drama a big match like this deserved.
It was Plymouth’s Senior Night, but it was Northridge that had the lineup full of upperclassmen who led the 22nd-ranked Lady Raiders to the narrow 3-2 win. Five of the seven spots for Northridge were seniors, with four of them contributing to the three wins necessary to hold off the gutty Lady Pilgrims.
Both teams came in unbeaten in the NLC with Northridge ranked No. 3 in District 2 (behind Homestead and FW Carroll, ranked No. 9 and 13 statewide, respectively), while Plymouth was ranked No. 4 in District 3 (No. 21 West Lafayette Harrison is No. 1, Bremen No. 2). The visiting Lady Raiders were also coming off a major win over No. 14 Penn earlier in the week and made it look like a 5-0
runaway was possible in the early going.
Plymouth’s all-sophomore No. 1 doubles team of Ellie Jones and Taylor Delp caught the attention of the top Lady Raiders pair by jumping out to a 2-1 firstset lead, but from there on it was all Northridge as they won 11 of the next 12 games for the first team point.
Northridge’s No. 2 doubles team — a senior and a junior — methodically lobbed and volleyed its way past Plymouth’s all-freshmen pair in straight sets for the second team point not long after.
The match-clincher came at No. 1 singles. Miranda German’s rocket serves were enhanced even more with the stiff
wind and she had more success as the match went on, but Northridge senior Riley Wheatley held off Plymouth’s only upperclassman, 6-2, 6-4.
“The match didn’t go like she wanted, but that is the No. 1-seeded player in the conference she was up against,” said Plymouth head coach Brad Haeck of
German, the only senior in the PHS varsity lineup. “She has had a great career here and I’m looking forward to her continuing to lead us moving forward.”
Holding a 3-0 lead at that point and in charge on the other two courts, it looked like the visitors may get the sweep, but then came the dramatic finish.
The two most competitive matches came at Nos. 2 and 3 singles and both needed a third set, and three-and-ahalf hours, to decide the winner.
Plymouth’s Aubrey Vervynckt, who usually runs her opponent all over the court to score points, had the same done to her to lose the first set to Lilah Dean at No. 2 singles, 6-1. The PHS junior recovered well in the second though, winning 6-4 to set up a third. The final set started out looking just like the first with Vervynckt quickly down 5-0, but she fought back to win the next six games. Dean broke serve to make it 6-all to send it to a tiebreaker. Vervynckt led by two three times (2-0, 4-2, 5-3) in the tiebreak, but Dean scored three straight and held a match point at 6-5. The indefatigable Vervynckt won the next three though, to win the match as the clock was about to strike 9 p.m.
A minute later the No. 3 singles match ended. That contest was the flip side of two singles for the Lady Pilgrims. Plymouth’s Bella Kain won the last five games of set one to win it, 6-2, then lost a tight second set, 7-5, to send it to a deciding third. In that final set, Kain turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead before losing two straight and was down 5-4. Continuing her backboard-like
groundstrokes though, Kain may have played her best tennis of the match at the end to win the next three games and gave Plymouth its second team point.
“I am really proud of Aubrey and Bella,” said Haeck. “There were so many emotional and momentum swings in both of those matches. They definitely took a step forward as far as mental toughness goes and battling all the way through. Two great matches.”
The other seniors recognized at the conclusion of the match were Kaylynn Bunton and Drew Harrell (manager).
Plymouth will play in the Laporte Invitational today, then has its final NLC dual match on Monday at Wawasee. The conference tournament is next week (Wed-fri), followed by sectionals starting May 19. The sectional draw is Monday, May 17.
• NORTHRIDGE 3, PLYMOUTH 2
At Plymouth
SINGLES: 1. Riley Wheatley (NR) def. Miranda German (P) 6-2, 6-4; 2. Aubrey Vervynckt (P) def. Lilah Dean (NR) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6); 3. Bella Kain (P) def. Laia Schmucker (NR) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 DOUBLES: 1. Peyton Keiper/brynne Gayler (NR) def. Ellie Jones/taylor Delp (P) 6-2, 6-1; 2. Taylin Cress/morgan Mack (NR) def. Cassidy Riddle/annie Plothow (P) 6-3, 6-1 Records: Plymouth 8-4 (5-1 NLC), Northridge 11-0 (6-0 NLC)