RMA netters need three-plus hours to top FCS

It took more than three hours, but the Rocky Mount Academy girls’ tennis team was able to defeat rival Faith Christian 8-1 in a Carolina Independent Conference on Tuesday.

The Eagles finished with a season sweep and improved to 9-1 in the CIC and 13-5 overall, while the Patriots emerged 4-6 in league play and 8-8 overall.

“It sounds crazy with an 8-1 score, but we were extremely competitive with RMA today,” said longtime Faith coach Barry Nethercutt. “The fact that it took over three hours shows that. But they are better at finishing points than we are and that was the difference. Ellis (Ramey, RMA coach) has done a great job in his first year coaching, and as one of my former players, he definitely outcoached me in several matches today. RMA should be a high seed in the playoffs with a great chance to make a deep run.”

Despite the score, results of two of the singles matches went to 9-7 with the teams splitting those results.

The No. 1 singles match, the last one to be played, was won by RMA’s Abbie Hooks, who withstood a comeback by Molly Morningstar to win 9-7.

Hooks led most of the match until Morningstar rallied to take a 7-6 advantage.

“Abbie was able to pull everything together at the end,” Coach Ramey said. “I was proud of her for hanging in there. It’s not easy to come back and win after losing a lead late in the match.”

Faith Christian took the other 9-7 match, as Page Strickland edged Elizabeth Paszek at No. 5 singles.

RMA captured the other singles events as No. 2 Katie Kos blanked Avery Clark 8-0; No. 4 Frances Tharin held off Afton Joyner 8-4; No. 4 Sarah Dunn Sawyer defeated Addison Rich 8-1 and No. 6 Mary Powell Chesnutt got past Savannah Denton 8-2.

The rematch from a week ago started with doubles, where Hooks and Kos teamed for an 8-4 triumph over Clark and Morningstar at No. 1.

Sawyer and Paszek defeated Joyner and Strickland 8-0 at No. 2 doubles, while the No. 3 do for the Eagles, Tharin and Grace Bone, handled Rich and Nora Morningstar 8-2.

Ramey added, “We are excited to have another win heading into states. I felt like we played a more confident doubles match against Faith this time around.”

RMA was set to complete its regular season with a home nonconference match against Ridgecroft on Thursday.