The Healdsburg High School girls tennis team maintained a firm grip on second place this week in the North Bay League standings, claiming an even split in a pair of matches with Piner and Ukiah.
The Hounds opened the action on Oct. 4 against visiting Piner, easily dispatching the Prospectors, 7-0. Healdsburg welcomed back No. 1 singles player Indica Carroll, who missed the first few weeks of the season due to a knee injury. Not a problem, as Carroll made short work of her opponent.
“She shook off the cobwebs quickly and played amazing tennis,” HHS coach Val Cronin said.
On Oct. 6, the Hounds played host to a tough Ukiah squad, scoring two wins in seven matches. Leading the way for Healdsburg was senior singles player Allie Grande, who won her match in three hard-fought sets.
The outcome was much closer than the score indicated, with the result being decided late in the afternoon.
“It came down to the last two matches but Ukiah pulled it off,” Cronin reported. “The girls, especially Allie, played their toughest opponents yet with solid tennis shots.”
Also scoring a win for the Greyhounds was the doubles team of Maddie Munselle-Itzel Ortiz, who won in straight sets.
“Those two are a force when playing together,” Cronin noted.
