Iola High will be represented well this Saturday at state in Winfield for girls tennis. No.1 singles Carlie Payne along with the No.1 doubles pair of Allie Utley and Gabby Richards will represent the blue and gold.
The 2019 season couldnt have gone better for first-year coach Chris Belknap.
The team has made it super easy, Belknap said. I tell the girls all the time that I just carry a clipboard and tell them what to do. If I had anything to say, they would always listen.
At regionals in Topeka over the weekend, Payne won her first matchup as the six seed in a 16-seed bracket. Despite losing her second match, Payne won her first match in the consolation bracket to advance to the fifth-place match. Payne lost to finish sixth, and claim the last spot available to reach state.
Payne came into 2019 asking to play singles, and Belknap said he has been impressed with her performances all season long.
Carlie is pretty strong on form with her forehand and backhand. She can volley all day long, Belknap said. She plays very politely, but when we tell her to get aggressive, she can pop some drop shots in there.
Utley and Richards won their opening match as the number-six seed. The pair was moved to the consolation bracket after a second round loss, but won their next two matches to place fifth.
Belknap said that coming into the season, Richards and Utley asked if they could play as a pair, and they havent disappointed.
Allie and Gabby are both pretty agressive, Belknap said. They work great as a team. They call out their shots and communicate well on the court. I havent had to work with communication with them at all this season. The biggest thing has been confidence, and not getting so down on yourself when you dont get the ball over the net.
All three girls are seniors, and admit it was a goal to reach state before the season started. Last season, the girls finished seventh, missing state by one place.
We all talked about it. At the start of the season, I said this is our year, Richards said. When we showed up to regionals, I knew it was going to be our day. We knew that this year was going to be our year.
Utley said the girls wanted to make Belknaps first year as coach a special year by reaching state. The trio admits that Belknap had a massive impact on their success this season.
He has helped us a lot, and not just with our fundamentals, but our mindsets, Richards said. He has told us, if we are not smiling then we are not having fun, and if you are not having fun then you arent going to win.
Competition begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
