Mahomet-Seymour Girls’ Tennis Wins First-Ever Apollo Conference Tournament Title

By Fred Kroner

For the first time in program history, the Mahomet-Seymour girls’ tennis team won the six-school Apollo Conference Tournament on Saturday (Oct. 5) at Charleston.

In doubles, M-S won two of the three flights.

Elena Religioso and Haley Reed won both of their matches in straight sets, losing a combined total of four games at No. 2.

At No. 3, Ashley Shoaf and Lindsay Gowler were also 2-0 at the tourney. After winning in the semifinals, 6-0, 6-0, they survived in the finals, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-0.

The Bulldogs’ No. 1 doubles team of Adella Bird and Holland Martin reached the finals with a 6-2, 6-2 decision but then fell to Mount Zion’s Gadiel Velasco and Caroline Huss. 

In singles, three Bulldogs won their flights, and all three remain undefeated for the season.

Religioso (No. 3), Reed (No. 4) and Eliza Agate (No. 5) were 2-0 at conference with each of their wins in straight sets.

Agate lost just one game at conference and Religioso lost just two games. For the season, Religioso is 13-0, Agate is 12-0 and Reed is 8-0.

Finishing as the conference runners-up were Bird (No. 1) and Shoaf (No. 6), who saw her 12-match winning streak end in the finals with a 6-4, 6-3 setback.

Martin (No. 2) won two of her three matches and ended third.

M-S amassed 54 points in the two-day tournament to outdistance runner-up Mattoon (47 points).

On Thursday (Oct. 3), a total of 11 girls from M-S earned victories – six in singles and five in doubles – as the unbeaten Bulldogs swept Urbana, 9-0, at home on the Middletown Courts.

The singles’ winners were Agate (6-1, 6-1 at No. 1); Charlotte Mercer (6-0, 6-1 at No. 2); Shoaf (6-2, 6-1 at No. 3); Violet Franklin (6-3, 6-0 at No. 4); Evie Hillard (6-4, 7-6 (6) at No. 5) and Lillian Meyer (6-1, 6-3 at No. 3).

Meyer was the only one of the singles’ entries to play in doubles. She teamed up with Harper Young at No. 3 doubles for a 6-1, 6-1 triumph.

Emmie Flores and Courtney Gowler were victorious at No. 1 doubles, 6-4, 6-3. At No. 2 doubles, Ava Gilbert and Caroline Aden prevailed, 6-0, 6-0.

For the season, 18 different Bulldogs have posted at least one win in a varsity singles match. In doubles, 17 different combinations have earned at least one win.

M-S (15-0 in dual meets) returns to action on Tuesday (Oct. 8) at home against Taylorville.