By Cort Reynolds
CENTERVILLE - Visiting Ada opened its tennis season with a close 3-2 loss at traditional Div. I power Centerville by a 3-2 count Saturday.
The Bulldogs dropped to 0-1 while the Centerville B squad improved to 2-0 with the win.
Ada senior Cade Mullins won a tough two-set battle at first singles to post one Bulldog win. The first set came in a 7-5 tiebreak win, followed by a close 6-4 win in set two.
Junior Isaac Spar registered the other Bulldog victory in straight sets at second singles.
Ada sophomore Miranda Wills lost a tight three-set battle at third singles.
Centerville went up 2-0 by winning both doubles matches. Mullins and Spar both won to tie the match, 2-2. But Centerville pulled out the decisive win at third singles to make the final score 3-2.
"I am so proud of our kids for their fight against a tough opponent," said new head coach Cody Hurley, a Centerville native. "This was the test we needed to see where we were and where we need to improve. Of course we are disappointed it didn't go our way, but we are pleased with the result.
"In singles, I was confident in our ability to compete and we proved that today. Cade and Isaac took care of business picking up straight-set wins at the top two singles spots. With the match on the line, Miranda fought her heart out. Unfortunately, it just didn't go her way.
"I knew doubles would be tough for us because of their depth. When you have 2,800 students enrolled, you have a lot of options in your arsenal," he continued.
"We didn't show any fear and enjoyed every moment of the experience. Most importantly, we represented Ada to the best of our ability showcasing true grit, passion, humility, and sportsmanship," he added.
Match results:
Singles:
1) Cade Mullins (A) def. Kunal Panwar (C) 7-6 (5), 6-4
2) Isaac Spar (A) def. Mir Ali (C) 6-2, 6-2
3) Shravan Kalahasthy (C) def. Miranda Wills (A) 4-6, 6-1, 3-6
Doubles:
1) Colin Brown/Ryan Dhaliwal (C) def. Gabe Hasan/Dexter Woods (A) 6-0, 6-0
2) Jeffery Zhang/Ryan Dubuc (C) def. Morgan Swick/Hunter Wells (A) 6-0, 6-2
"We look to bounce back this week as we are eager to take on Lima Shawnee on Tuesday and Ottawa-Glandorf on Friday," said Hurley.
