John Raffel
Sports Scene
It was, coach Ralph Kridner II said, the “best season in four years” for Ovid-Elsie girls’ tennis.
Part of the reason for that was the productive play at No.1 doubles of Brittni Tucker, a senior, and Kristine Batora, a junior. The duo enjoyed a 9-3 record, the best on the team. Both have played three years of tennis. This was their first year playing together.
Tucker had played No. 1 doubles for the past two seasons.
“The biggest thing is that Brittni is one of the best doubles players in the conference,” Kridner said. “She really understands the concept of doubles. I had to find somebody for her that would give her a fighting chance of winning. Kristine was a very good singles player. It gave Brittni an opportunity to win some matches.”
Tucker and Batora had one of their most impressive wins of the season May 14 with a 6-3. 6-0 win over Tina Roberts and Morgan Schriber of Caro.
“They were down against Alma after one set (6-1) and came back to win the next two 7-6, 6-2,” Kridner said. “It showed they had no thought of quitting.”
The girls were 1-1 in their conference match in early May but won their home O-E Invitational in April. They also defeated Natalie Pacholkie and Kimberly Newman of Bullock Creek 7-5 (ret.) and Cary Coleman and Courtney Gantz of Ithaca 6-1, 6-3.
They were 5-0 at one time in late April after sweeping Ashley Bookmyer and Ashley Wruble of Garber 6-4. 6-1.
One of their losses, the one to Lindsay Jarabeck and Spencer Denman of Hemlock, was very close, 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(5).
Both Tucker and Batora offer unique skills to the Ovid-Elsie attack.
“Brittni has a big first serve and is very dominant at the net,” Kridner said, adding that Batora “is strong at the baseline.
Kridner was impressed with how his girls played during the conference season. “They’ve been coming along well,” he said. “There’s been the communication and staying positive. They push each other.”
It’s been among the top doubles teams Kridner has coached.
“In the last three years, they’re the best doubles team I’ve had,” he said. “In the last 10 years, they’re probably the third-best doubles team, but the best in the last three.”
The No. 4 Ovid-Elsie doubles team of Myrna Hunt and Nicole McIntyre was 9-4 after 13 matches.
“They played excellent tennis ,” Kridner said. “At the beginning of the season, they lost to Alma and beat them in a rematch. I was proud of that.”
Hunt and McIntyre beat Elizabeth Martin and Erin Griffin 6-2, 7-6