Raider tennis continuing to improve

Raider tennis players won matches last week with the boys winning all three and the girls slowly improving as the week progressed.

At White Swan March 20, the boys won the match 3-2, with Phoenix Shepard, Hayden Rodrigues, and Nick Rice sweeping the singles matches in favor of the Raiders.

Shepard dispatched Xavier Valladares, 6-3 and 6-0. Rodrigues trounced Armondo Cervantes of White Swan 6-1, 6-3. Rice had the closest match with Erik Garcia staying in every set and forcing a third, 7-6, 7-5, and 1-0 (7-4).

The Raider boys are still learning to play in doubles teams, as Brandin Smith and Daniel Campobosso lost to Ethan Lewis and Manuel Equihua 0-6, 3-6. Smith then jumped in with Kayne Orber to defeat the Cougars’ Cristian Galvan and Mauricio Carrillo 8-6.

Though the Raider duo won on the court, by rule, they lost as Smith had already competed in a doubles match for the day.

Oberg’s partner was not eligible to come on Tuesday. In fact, the Raiders had only 6 boys at the match, but Smith showed leadership and was willing to play so that Oberg could play his match for the day.

The girls’ side was not so successful, going 0-5 in match play.

Nicole Baker lost to Yazmin Valladares 2-6, 2-6. Holly Jo Carriere lost to Morelia Maravilla 1-6 in both sets. Meagan Bellamy lost to Maria Anguiano, 3-6, 1-6.

In doubles action, the Lady Raiders made it close in the first set for Hillary Carriere/Emily Williams against Jess Sheppard and Shanita Sohappy, but Carriere/Williams lost 4-6, 2-6.

Haley Seylor/Regine Wilson lost to Adi Villanueva/Berenice Garcia 3-6, 3-6.

On Thursday at the LR courts, the boys’ squad again carried the day in singles action, sweeping the A-class Okanogan Bulldogs 3-0.

The boys fell short in doubles action. Smith and Campobosso lost to Jordan Hertlein and Hayden Behrens in two sets of 6-0. Smith again teamed up with Kayne Orberg to defeat Bradley Nearents and Eric Weekly, but like at White Swan, it still was counted as a loss.

In girls’ singles, the Lady Raiders again were swept by the oppostion but in doubles action the paring of the Carriere sisters did put together a spark of excitement.

“Hillary and Holly Jo Carriere came so close to a win after coming back in the first set with six straight games to win the set,” Head Coach Steve Archer said. “They didn’t win a single game in the second. The third was decided in a tie breaker. They were tied at 6-6 but were beat out in the last two points.”

At Pateros Friday to take on Pateros and Brewster, the LR boys’ squad smashed the opposition 4-0 in singles, but did not play any doubles matches as Pateros only had four boys on their team. Campobosso won his singles match against Isaac Looper of Pateros 8-2 for his first win of the season.

Pateros has 20 girls out for tennis this season, and they gave the Lady Raiders all they wanted and then some, prevailing in doubles and singles.

“That makes four school days in a row with four matches ... That’s a long time to go without a practice,” Archer said. “They are learning on the court during the matches. So in the last nine days of school before spring break, we will have had six matches and only three days for practice.”

Monday, both squads lost to Omak.

The Raiders have today to practice, then tomorrow take on Liberty Bell at the LR courts for a 4:30 p.m. match.