NIXA 8, JOPLIN 1
Joplin’s boys tennis team suffered a Central Ozark Conference setback to the Nixa Eagles on Thursday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
“Even though we lost the match, the improvement compared to last year is significant,” Joplin coach Aaron Stump said. “We went from winning 10 games total last season to 38 games, including a match win for Leif Garrity at No. 3 singles. With Nixa’s top eight players being seniors, we’re going in the right direction.”
As Stump noted, Joplin’s lone win of the dual came at No. 3 singles, where Garrity defeated Nixa’s James Harris 8-5.
“Leif consistently kept the ball in play and took advantage of short shots from his opponent to close out points,” Stump said.
At No. 1 singles, Nixa’s Carson Palmer edged Joplin’s Adam Badr 8-6.
“Adam started off strong, but was outplayed in a few key points,” Stump said.
In other singles matches, Nixa’s Mason Murray defeated Josiah Hazlewood 8-4, Liam Dalton beat Chapel Braman 8-1, Tyler Upton-Rowley topped Hunter Merkley 8-2 and Tyler Neal edged Roman Venturella 8-6.
“Roman played a great match,” Stump commented. “When he kept the ball deep in play, he was winning games.”
At No. 1 doubles, Palmer-Murray defeated Badr-Hazlewood 8-4, while Harris-Dalton beat Michael Mancipe-Merkley 8-2 and Upton-Rowley-Neal defeated Garrity-Venturella 8-5.
“We changed up our No. 3 doubles team for this match,” Stump noted. “This duo communicated well and played quite a few good points.”
Joplin will compete in Branson on Friday.
OZARK 8, NEOSHO 1
NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats suffered a COC loss to the Ozark Tigers on Thursday.
Neosho’s lone win of the match came at No. 4 singles, where Peyton Williams defeated Ben Romano 8-6.
In other singles matches, Ozark’s Connor Kitchin beat Christian Williams 8-4, Stephen Metcalf topped Willis Jarvis 8-1, Ethan Fast edged Reid Snyder 8-6, Coltyn Boyer handled Breckin McAffrey 8-1 and Luke Morris edged Wes Williams 8-6.
In doubles, Neosho’s Christian Williams and Peyton Williams suffered an 8-0 loss to Kitchin-Metcalf, Jarvis-McAffrey fell short, 8-6, to Fast-Boyer and Snyder-Noah Schade lost 8-3 to Romano-Nicholas Psarev 8-3.
Neosho is at Thomas Jefferson on Monday.
THOMAS JEFFERSON 6, MONETT 3
MONETT, Mo. — The Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers improved to 4-0 by beating Monett on Thursday.
The Cavaliers won all three doubles matches.
Thomas Jefferson’s Prithvi Nagarajan and Tyler Brouhard beat Ethan Kutz-Heisman Welch 8-4, while Chengle Qian and Jack Goodhue defeated Elijah Ridenour-Logan Kutz 8-5 and Sam Li and Nathaniel Curtis topped Caden Szydloski-Riley Dierker 8-4.
In singles, TJ’s Nagarajan beat Ethan Kutz 8-4, Qian edged Welch 9-7 and Goodhue defeated Logan Kutz 8-3.
Monett’s Ridenour earned the win over Brouhard by default.
Szydloski defeated Li 8-4 and Dierker edged Curtis 8-6.
Thomas Jefferson hosts Neosho at 4:30 on Monday.
