By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

COLUMBUS – An exceptional season has come to a close for LaGrange High’s girls’ tennis team.

Facing Columbus, LaGrange dropped a hard-fought 3-1 decision in the quarterfinals of the Class AAAA state tournament.

LaGrange, which finished second in Region 5-AAAA, closed the season with a 17-6 record, and it won two matches in the state tournament before falling to Columbus.

It was the final match for LaGrange’s five seniors, two of whom were in the lineup.

Senior Kaylee Key teamed with Ella Eiland at number two doubles to give LaGrange its lone win.

Another senior, Lizzie Wilkerson, teamed with Sydney Edelson at number one doubles, and they came up short.

The other three seniors, Lauren Yarbrough, Kelsey Cadenhead and Jamie Livingston, haven’t played much this season, but they all provided some key contributions to the program

over the years, particularly during their first two years of high school while the program was in a transition period.

“We’ve got five seniors, and three of them didn’t play today, but they played every match for two years,” LaGrange head coach Kenny Moore said. “Their freshman and sophomore years, they showed up and they really saved our program.”

While the seniors will be missed, the future is bright with so many gifted players returning.

“We’re still really young,” Moore said. “We’ve got four sophomores and a freshman, and we’ve got two more freshmen that are solid players. They’ll get their chance.”

In Wednesday’s match, Columbus won at number one singles and number one doubles to take the lead, and LaGrange got on the board thanks to the number two doubles team.

LaGrange needed the win the final two singles matches to earn the team win.

At number two singles, LaGrange’s Annie Pauley dropped the first set 6-4, but she bounced back and won the second set 6-4 to force a third and deciding set.

The third set went back-and-forth, and it was Sydney McRae earning the 7-5 victory to clinch the win for Columbus.

The number three singles match between LaGrange’s Louise Dodson and Joy Mobley was pulled since the outcome had been decided.

After splitting the first two sets, Mobley had a 3-0 lead in the third set when the match was pulled.

“The girl that Annie played, she never missed,” Moore said. “She would not give Annie any free balls. But she gave everything she has, and Louise gave everything she had.”

RESULTS

No. 1 singles – Mary Weston Courville (C) beat Wone Mi Oh, 6-1, 6-1

No. 2 singles – Sydney McRae (C) beat Annie Pauley, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5

No. 3 singles – Louise Dodson (L) vs. Joy Mobley, Dodson won first set 6-3, Mobley won second set 6-1, and Mobley was leading third set 3-0

No. 1 doubles – Olivia Phillips and Kindra Woodman (C) beat Lizzie Wilkerson and Sydney Edelson, 6-1, 6-1

No. 2 doubles – Kaylee Key and Ella Eiland (L) beat Lexi Grier and Kelsey Human, 6-4, 6-4