For The Daily Journal
COLUMBUS
A long Edinburgh girls tennis season ended Wednesday the same way it began — with a 5-0 loss at Columbus East.
This time, in the opening round of the Columbus East Sectional, the Lancers won one more game than they did in the season opener. Still, the Olympians won four of the matches 6-0, 6-0 in cruising to the victory.
All the games Edinburgh won came at No. 1 doubles. Sydney Schlotter and Haven Link fell to Kendall Gerkin and Kathryn Hodzen 6-1, 6-2.
Link, a freshman, was filling in for Hannah Gosman, who had another commitment.
“(Schlotter and Link have) never played together before, and for Haven being the alternate, she definitely stepped up,” Edinburgh coach Rachel O’Brien said. “They had a fun time. They’re friends off the court, and I think that really helped them kind of bond and talk.”
The Olympians (14-3) advance to play Brown County in today’s semifinals. Eleventh-ranked Columbus North will face Hauser in the other semifinal.
Allie Schooler fell to Megna Chari at No. 1 singles, Molly Bowker lost to Adycin Rager at No. 2 singles and Heather Jones fell to Alaysha Pollert at No. 3 singles, all by 6-0, 6-0 scores. At No. 2 doubles, Haley Jones and Sophia Parmer lost to Maddy Rhodes and Carolyn Travis 6-0, 6-0.
“They played hard, and I think they really tried their best,” O’Brien said of her entire squad. “A lot of the scores went to 30 and deuce.”
The lone win this season for the Lancers (1-15) came in their second contest. They beat Waldron 4-1 in a match that the Mohawks forfeited three positions.
Edinburgh loses five seniors from this year’s team, but O’Brien said the Lancers will have some eighth-graders coming in.
“They’ll be a young team next year,” O’Brien said. “We’ll kind of have a building season.”