INDEPENDENCE — The Iola High School varsity girls tennis team competed at the Independence Invitational on Thursday.
A total of two singles players and one doubles duo played in matches and went a combined 4-8 overall for the Mustangs. The other teams at the meet included Chanute, Independence, Fort Scott and Pittsburg.
At the end of the meet, first place went to Independence with 13 points, followed by second place Chanute, 10 points, and third place Pittsburg, seven points. Iola came in fourth with four points and Fort Scott finished in fifth with two points.
Keira Fawson went 3-1 in singles play. In the first match, Fawson knocked off Fort Scott’s Hunziker, 8-1, followed by a win over Chanute’s Colding, 8-1.
Fawson fell to Independence’s Ava Morris, 8-0, before she won the fourth match against Pittsburg’s Addy McCabe.
In second singles play Rebekah Coltrane went 1-3. Coltrane toppled Fort Scott’s Primeaux, 8-1 before she fell to Chanute’s Speaks, 8-4.
Coltrane also lost to Independence’s Karma Roth, 8-1 before winning her final match over Pittsburg’s Hayden Turnbull.
“Rebekah played very well against some really tough opponents,” said Iola head coach Chris Belknap. “Rebekah has really improved since her freshman year and it is a treat to see just how much.”
The No. 1 Mustang doubles did not compete in the invitational because of illness.
In No. 2 doubles, Molly Riebel and Melanie Palmer went 0-4, losing to Fort Scott’s Brown and Messer, 8-1, Chanute’s Aguilar and Smith, 8-0, Independence’s Gustin and Romi, 8-0, and indecisively to Pittsburg’s Hunziker and LeFever.
“Molly and Melanie are having a good time playing doubles. Always smiling, laughing, and having fun. Molly is improving her serves and Melanie is becoming an aggressive doubles player,” said Belknap.
Similar to the JV team on Tuesday night, the Mustangs varsity squad went to Braum’s after the match for a family dinner.
The Iola varsity girls tennis team will play at Chanute next Thursday at 3 p.m.
