Nov. 6 — It was difficult to know which court to watch Tuesday at the Weeks Tennis Center.
The action was so captivating, the level of play so good, that many spectators at the Class AAAA second-round playoff game between South Aiken and Gray Collegiate couldn’t help but look away from a field at ‘other as quickly as them. would move from one baseline to another during the same match.
There was also the option to park on one of the center benches, which a group of South Aiken players not playing in the match did to watch the No. 4 singles match on the far court – only to be reprimanded by the head coach. Dee Dee Redd, reminding them that, hey, there were T-Breds playing on four other fields simultaneously and they could use a little support, too.
The reasons for celebration grew as South Aiken continued to gain points, win games – and win games. Sophia Rainchuso’s victory at No. 4 singles gave the T-Breds the fourth match win they needed, rendering a potential deciding match at No. 1 doubles moot as the T-Breds advanced to Thursday’s third round with a 4-2 victory.
“Absolutely amazing. I’m super proud of these ladies. Gray Collegiate is the only team we lost a game to in the region and then came back and won the second round against them,” said Redd, whose he team will host South Florence on Thursday for a spot in the Lower State finals. “We really had high hopes. The fact that we won straight away, 4-2, was very impressive. Our last win went to No. 1 doubles, so this one was a clear win. Even one of our other lines was eliminated in a tie-break in the third set, so even close on this ground as well.
Gray Collegiate struck first, earning the first win on the board at No. 2 singles when Sidney Moore beat junior Jena Quinn 6-1, 6-1. South Aiken’s players began to pick up first set victories on other courts, but both teams knew there would be no time to breathe easy until the winning point was scored.
“Every court was excellent tennis and very high level,” Redd said. “Grey Collegiate has a great program, so the fact that we could go there and be able to win against them says a lot about their team and our team. They’re all very competitive.”
South Aiken’s No. 2 doubles tandem of senior Isabel Kelly and sophomore Silver Hamic tied the match with a 6-2, 6-0 victory, then junior Kinsee Smith gave the T-Breds the lead with a 6-3, 6-1 victory. at No. 5 in singles.
Sophomore Anrei Delariarte, who hasn’t slowed down since his strong performance this summer at the prestigious Festival of Flowers, came up next with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles, leaving one match to the T-Breds. win far from advancing.
They got it from Rainchuso, a junior whose composure — and near-perfect return game — frustrated her opponent. Rainchuso cruised to a 6-2 victory in the first set, then held a 6-5 lead in the second set when Redd told him to keep returning every shot. She did just that, earning a 7-5 victory in the second set to win the match for the T-Breds.
All that remained was the No. 3 singles match, which Karis Kissiah nearly won before falling in a tiebreaker that went down to the wire. He was then “presented” with the team’s spirit racket, which was in someone’s car and unavailable for the post-game team circle, as the T-Breds celebrated a team effort.
“I don’t think any one person really stood out. I think the team as a whole impresses me every time we play a game,” Redd said. “From our number 1, Anrei, an incredible tennis player who only suffered one loss all season, to our number 2 in doubles, who, one of my players, this is her first year at officially playing tennis. She and my seniors are dominating together on the doubles court, and it’s really impressive to see Every girl here is playing amazing tennis, and I was really proud to see it all tonight.
