In a matchup between the Joplin area’s top girls tennis teams, Thomas Jefferson defeated Carl Junction 5-4 on Monday at the Joplin Athletic Complex courts.
The Cavaliers kept their perfect record intact with the close victory, improving to 10-0.
The Bulldogs fell to 13-3.
Thomas Jefferson won two of the three doubles matches.
At No. 1 doubles, Carl Junction’s Naiyah Wurdeman and Jenna Besperat defeated TJ’s Allison Ding and Jeanna Jeyaraj 8-3. Wurdeman and Besperat are returning state qualifiers in doubles.
At No. 2 doubles, Thomas Jefferson’s Esther Yang and Kyla Yang beat Isabel Read-Brooklin Leggett 8-4, while Warda Morsy and Mayson Solum defeated Emily Rice-Brooke Jasperson 8-5 at No. 3 doubles.
At No. 1 singles, Wurdeman defeated Ding 8-4 and Besperat beat Jeyaraj 8-2 at No. 2 singles.
TJ’s Esther Yang defeated Read 8-4 at No. 3 singles, while Morsy topped Rice 8-2 at No. 4 singles.
Carl Junction’s Leggett defeated Solum 8-5 at No. 5 singles, but TJ’s Kyla Yang beat Jasperson 8-3 at No. 6 singles.
Both teams conclude the regular season on Tuesday, as Carl Junction is at Willard and Thomas Jefferson hosts Lamar.
The Cavaliers and Bulldogs could meet again in the postseason, as district tournament play begins next week.
The Cavaliers are the host school for Class 2 District 7. The district also features Barstow, Belton, Carl Junction, Notre Dame de Sion, Webb City and Willard.
