Dawg Tennis splits week, improves to 7-2

By TJ MAXWELL

The Copperas Cove Bulldawgs Tennis team beat the heat and their opponents, Midlothian Heritage and Waco University, on Wednesday at Robinson High School in Waco. The two wins improved their season record to 7-2 after suffering their first losses of the season at Harker Heights High School on Monday. The Dawgs finished out strong in sweltering 104 degree afternoon temperatures on Wednesday with a 19-0 pounding of Waco University. The girls’ side took care of business as usual, earning their third sweep of the young season. The girls have also swept the singles four times and swept the doubles in eight of their nine matches thus far. The boys, however, earned their first sweep of the season in the match. “This was the first boys’ sweep of the season, and we hope it leads to more confidence in their play,” said head coach Paul Talbett. “As the day went on we responded and became stronger as we watched our opponents falter in the heat. We prevailed today in part to our conditioning and prepping for the heat.” The Trojans really only challenged in three matches, winning one set in boys’ doubles to force a tiebreak. The Trojans also took the first set in one girls’ doubles match and one boys’ singles match but the Dawgs’ rallied back in each to easily put away their opponents. Four University players retired from their matches due to heat-related issues. The Dawgs kicked off Wednesday with a tight 10-9 win over Midlothian Heritage. The girls’ doubles too care of business for the sweep with wins by Tessa Bliss/Sydney Danemarks, Zonya and Abby Mackwelung, and Mia Garza/Bridgett Van Hecke. The boys’ doubles team of Gavin Glick/Jalen Nix earned a fourth point with their win over Zach Fielding/Carson Duff (6-1, 6-2) to give the Dawgs a slim 4-3 lead heading into singles. The girls proceeded to win five of their six singles to put the Dawgs in position for the win. Zonya Mackwelung and Mia Garza each ousted their opponents 8-0, while Sydney Danemarks and Abby Mackwelung had their opponents retire. Tessa Bliss also outlasted h er opponent Chelsea Wilson 8-4 Michael Pastrano notched the only singles win for the boys to push the Dawgs over the hump. He defeated Duff 8-2. The week didn’t start as well for the Dawgs as they suffered losses to host school Harker Heights, 14-5, and Ellison, 12-7, at Heights on Monday. As per usual, the girls’ doubles teams of Bliss/Danemarks, Z. Mackwelung/A.Mackwelung and Garza/Van Hecke handled their business with a sweep. The rest of the team struggled to find wins, however. Trystan Jackson earned a win for the boys over Heights’ Joseph Kim, 8-4. Zonya Mackwelung also earned a win for the girls, 9-7, over Emma Holt. Against Ellison, the Cove girls’ doubles again swept while Tessa Bliss and the Mackwelung duo earned wins for the singles to account for six of Cove’s seven points in the match. The final point again came from Jackson in boys’ singles. Bliss beat Alissa Lornklang 8-4, Z. Mackwelung beat Sierra Sparacello 8-3, A. Mackwelung beat Kaitlyn Vandeweert 8-3 and Jackson beat Jacob Dean 8-4 to account for the Cove singles’ points. “We had issues closing out matches today,” Talbett said after the two losses. “We lost a lot of big deuce points in big games that led to some close losses in both matches. The intensity and effort were there today, we just were not making some of the important shots. Cove continued their busy week with a trip to the Georgetown Team Tennis Tournament where they faced off with Leander  Rouse at 9 a.m. yesterday. The Dawgs also played at 1:30 p.m. yesterday. They also play at those same times again today  Full results from the Georgetown Team Tennis Tournament to come in the Leader-Press.