The Joplin Interstate Championships kicked off the 2022 girls tennis season on Friday at both JHS and Millennium Family Fitness.
The 16-team tournament got underway on Friday with pool play action.
Joplin went 1-2 in Pool A.
Joplin earned a 6-0 win over West Plains.
Rogersville edged Joplin 5-4, while Lee’s Summit North topped the Eagles 5-0.
Against Rogersville, Joplin’s No. 1 doubles team of Emma Watts and Mya Ndedi Ntepe beat Caitlyn Archer and Lydia Coryell 7-5. Joplin’s No. 2 doubles team of Brynn Driver and Jensen Vowels beat Alex Wubbena-Raleigh Powell 6-0. The Wildcats won the No. 3 doubles match, as Nikki Woods-Gabrielle Bybee beat Alex Carson and Bonnie Smith 6-0.
Watts beat Archer 6-4 at No. 1 singles and Vowels defeated Coryell 6-2 at No. 3 singles. Woods defeated Ndedi Ntepe 6-1 at No. 2, Wubbena topped Driver 6-1 at No. 5, Powell edged Carson 7-6 (7-5) at No. 5 and Veronica Kozlar nipped Smith 7-6 (7-4).
Lee’s Summit North won all three doubles matches and two singles matches (No. 3, No. 4) to earn the dual win against the hosts.
Against West Plains, Joplin’s Driver, Carson and Smith won singles matches. Joplin swept all three doubles matches.
Lee’s Summit North went 3-0 in the pool, while Rogersville was 2-1 and West Plains went 0-3.
Carl Junction went 2-1 in Pool B.
The Bulldogs beat Warrensburg 5-1 and Willow Springs 5-0.
Rogers beat Carl Junction 5-0 en route to going 3-0 in pool play.
Webb City went 0-3 in Pool C and College Heights was 0-3 in Pool D. The Cardinals suffered losses to Staley (5-0), Rogers Heritage (6-0) and Harrisonville (8-1).
The Cougars dropped matches to Grain Valley (5-0), Willard (5-4) and Bentonville West (5-0).
SATURDAY’S ACTION
The tourney continues on Saturday with bracket play.
In the opening round of the Challenger’s Bracket at 9 a.m., Joplin plays College Heights, Webb City meets Willow Springs, Willard takes on Warrensburg and West Plains plays Harrisonville.
The semifinals are scheduled for 11:30, with the championship match slated for 2.
The Champions Bracket’s first round matches have Bentonville West vs. Rogersville, Carl Junction vs. Staley, Lee’s Summit North vs. Rogers Heritage and Grain Valley vs. Rogers. Those matches start at 9 a.m., with semifinals at 11:30 and final matches scheduled for 2.
