Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Belen tennis teams come up short in duals tournament

Eagle teams to take on Albuq. High on Thursday

Jason W. Brooks News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jbrooks@news-bulletin.com

Albuquerque The Belen High School tennis teams needed to wake up early Friday for their 8 a.m. matches against Hobbs, but it was some of their opponents that day that ended up sending them a wake-up call.

Both the BHS boys squad and the girls team were eliminated from the Valley Duals tournament by the end of Friday's action, each winning once and losing twice on the second day of the three-day, double elimination tourney. Facing quality Class 5A teams at the Jerry Cline Tennis Complex, the Eagle teams found out a little more about the quality of teams around the state.

"Our lack of experience is going to hurt us, especially on the boys side," said BHS coach Regina Elkins. "We've got to get our mental game down. We can improve if we can keep our heads together."

The Eagle boys lost 4-1 to Hobbs in Friday's opener in the best-of-five format, which used three singles matches and two doubles. David Grega was the only Eagle to win against Hobbs, winning his No. 1 singles match.

Belen then faced Volcano Vista, a first-year Albuquerque school that has an all-freshman enrollment this year, and beat the Hawks 4-1. Grega, Chris Lucero and Drew Sander all won their singles matches, while the doubles team of Kevin Carrillo and Konstantin Yatsenko won as well. The other doubles team, Kiko Lanear and Nick Baker, lost to their Volcano Vista opponents.

The Eagle boys were eliminated from the tourney late Friday with a surprising 3-2 loss to West Mesa that included being swept in singles play. Grega was stopped by a 6-1, 6-3 loss to the Mustangs' tough No. 1 singles player, senior Justin Romero, while Lucero was taken out by Romero's brother Zack, a sophomore, 6-1, 6-1.

"I had no idea they were that good," said Elkins about the top two West Mesa singles players.

Sander also lost his singles match against his West Mesa opponent. Both doubles teams, Carrillo-Yatsenko and the combination of Grady Ezell and Taylor Williams, beat their Mustang counterparts.

The Lady Eagles fared no better, though they won their early match, beating Hobbs 4-1. The BHS girls went on to lose 3-2 to Robertson and to Valley 5-0.

Eighth-grader Stephanie Sander made her debut in the No. 1 singles slot against Hobbs, and though she didn't win, all of her teammates did. Britney Lardner made her season debut on the singles side and won, and Monica Evan-Chavez won her singles match. The No. 1 doubles team of Shannon Billingsley-Loretta Lawson won against Hobbs, who, like Belen, uses the Eagles nickname. Alisha Montoya and Caitlin Cano won by default.

Sander and Evan-Chavez lost their singles matches, though Cano won a singles match by default. Lardner teamed with Montoya for a doubles win, but the loss that seemed to sway the match was by the No. 1 doubles team, Lawson and Billingsley.

"That loss should not have happened," said Elkins.

The lineup stayed intact for the Valley match, but the Lady Vikings were too tough. Lardner and Montoya's No. 2 doubles match was the toughest of the five, said Elkins.

Robertson beat Valley 5-4 on Saturday to win the Valley Duals title, while Carlsbad beat Valley 7-2 in the girls final.

Both the BHS boys and girls defeated Manzano 3-2 on Thursday to advance to Friday's winners bracket. The Eagles travel to the Tennis Center of Albuquerque to take on Albuquerque High in a 3:30 p.m. match on Thursday. The girls and boys both are set to travel to Valley High School for duals with the Vikings on Tuesday, April 1.

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