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WASHINGTON, N.C. – There were expectations that a Washington girls tennis team with a lot of senior talent and experience could do big this season.

They certainly have not disappointed.

NCHSAA releases dual team tennis playoff brackets

The Pam Pack finished the regular season with a 15-2 record and went into individual and dual team tennis play with even higher expectations for success this season. On the individual play level, two of those seniors were involved in singles, Alaina Moore (15-3) and Emery Linton (16-5)  while the team of Addie Gibbs, a junior, and Avery Thomas, a senior (16-4), along with Madison Swanner, a senior, and Olivia Feyer (6-4) competed in doubles.

The individual regional play was this Friday and Saturday while dual team playoffs start Monday.

Well, it’s been fun,” said Washington coach Beth Pippin, who was named Eastern Plains Conference coach of the year. “I think they’ve stepped up to the challenge that (assistant) Michele (Mayo) and I proposed to them to win the conference. I set a high goal, and I think we came pretty close.

“So we’re very happy they’ve done everything we’ve asked them to. They’ve been a great group, and I think that shows in their success.”

Mayo and Pippin coached the Pam Pack team 15 years ago, so experience was on their side. Mix that with the seniors on the squad and the talent they had and it was a recipe for success.

“I think Addie and I, we knew we wanted to go for doubles. I think states is the big goal. And then we really wanted to win conference champions as a doubles team but we did not accomplish that. But we came pretty close and we may end up meeting (the team that beat them in the conference tournament) again at regionals,” said Thomas. “And so the goal is to win that and then go from there with states.

“And then as a team, I think we just wanna lead, Alaina and I as captains wanna lead us to do the best we can as a whole team and to continue on through playoffs.”

Class 2-A tennis is among the toughest levels on the N.C. High School Athletic Association. There are so many quality schools that each match and round in the dual teams will be a challenge. Having their talent and experience should be of a benefit to the Pack.

“I think all together our coaching has been very good this season,” Linton said. “We’re all just … we set goals, we’re all accomplishing all of them almost. And we all figured out how to work together, and that’s really a big part of it.”

It’s hard to say how far the Pack can go. Most of the schools they will face they haven’t played before. That’s also true on the singles and doubles level in individual play. Mayo believes if the team continues to do what they have to be successful this season, it can carry over in the postseason, too.

“I think that from their starting point on August 1st or July 31st to (now), it was night and day,” Mayo said. “Some of that was their ability, but more their competitiveness. I think they learned how to be fierce competitors throughout the season and give, literally left, 110% on the court. That’s all we can ask of them.”

Southside

The Seahawks are also involved in individual playoffs. Valeria Gonzalez and Eliza Jones qualified for the Class 1-A doubles regional play. They are looking to improve on their showing at the same level as last year.