Emma Breeding serves and Anya Woodbury waits for their Bishop Gorman opponent's return volley at the NIAA State Championships at the Caughlin Club Friday.
RENO — Through good shots and bad, Emma Breeding and Anya Woodbury wore big smiles on their faces.
Simply put, the Carson High top doubles tandem was just happy to be making an appearance at the NIAA 4A State Tennis Championship. It was the first time in a long time a Carson girls doubles team had reached state.
Unfortunately, Breeding and Woodbury managed to win just one game in dropping a 0-6, 1-6 decision to Bishop Gorman’s Emma Figueredo and Angelique Friedrich Friday afternoon at Caughlin Ranch.
The other two northern Nevada doubles teams also lost. Regional champs Rose Barry and Halle Turek of Bishop Manogue lost 6-1 and 6-1, and Reno’s Jazlynn Parker and Jill Rovetti lost in three sets to Payson and Parker Burk of Liberty.
The Carson duo played hard, but were no match for the Bishop Gorman girls.
“By far they were the hardest competition we had all season,” Breeding said. “We were just trying to hit it as hard as we could.”
“I thought we played well,” Woodbury said. “The big thing was getting to state.”
Bishop Gorman broke Woodbury’s serve in the opening game. The Gaels led 40-0, but both Figueredo and Friedrich made errors, allowing Carson to get to 30-40. Breeding missed a backhand at the net to end it. Carson took Gorman to deuce in the second game, but Breeding missed a forehand at the net and Figueredo hit a backhand winner. Two Gorman errors gave Carson a 30-0 lead in game three.
Gorman scored the next four points, the last two coming on double faults. Carson managed just six points the remainder of the first set.
With Breeding serving to start the second set, two winners at the net by Woodbury gave the Senators a 30-15 lead. Gorman won the next two points. Carson managed just one point in the second game, as Friedrich hit three winners. Carson forced Gorman into a deuce game before losing to go down 0-3.
Carson won game four thanks to three double faults by Friedrich and a forehand winner by Breeding that hit the net and fell untouched. Carson won just three points over the last three games.
“I’m proud of the girls for making it here, and all the hard work they put in,” CHS coach Justin Clark said. “The regionals is like our Super Bowl.
“At this level you need to be able to bring your A game and the girls did that. They played the best tennis of the year but they ran into players who train all year round and will probably win the state tournament. At the state level that’s what it takes. Carson boys and girls tennis teams have a bright future with the leadership from this year’s senior class boys and girls.”
The semifinals and finals will be played today at Caughlin Ranch.
• The team tennis titles were decided on Friday.
On the girls side, Palo Verde overpowered Coronado 13-5. Coronado had edged Reno 10-9 in the semifinals.
Palo Verde also won the boys title, registering a 13-5 win over Reno.