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Freshman lifts Bears past Leopards

By WAYNE GRUMET

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 28, 2001

BROOKSVILLE -- Shelane Etchison took a little while to get going in her No. 1 doubles match Tuesday.

The Central freshman was playing just her third match with Jen Ales and was in the decisive match.

But Etchison overcame some early jitters to help earn a 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Hernando's Jaime Joyce and Michelle Ehlenbeck, giving the Bears a 4-3 win.

"I was really nervous coming into this because I've never really played No. 1 doubles before," Etchison said. "The first set, I double-faulted like five times."

Central (11-1) won without one of its top players, Jane McDonald. McDonald sprained her ankle March 21 and has missed the past three matches.

Ales usually teams with McDonald but has played with Etchison lately. The two proved to be strong individually and as a team. Etchison and Ales accounted for three of Central's four points Tuesday. Ales beat Joyce 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, and Etchison routed Katie Werner 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.

Hernando (7-4) stayed alive entering doubles thanks to the effort of Ehlenbeck. The senior outlasted Jessica Nicolai in a No. 2 singles match that lasted about 21/2 hours. Ehlenbeck overcame a one-set deficit to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

If Nicolai had won, Central would have won the match before doubles play began.

"I try to keep (the pressure) out of my mind," Ehlenbeck said. "Plus, there were people around here saying stuff, and it's sometimes hard to block that out."

Hernando's Katie Heinecke helped lead the Leopards with two wins. She beat Paula Nagarajari 6-3, 6-4 at No. 3 singles and teamed with Werner to beat Nicolai and Nagarajari 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2 doubles.

Central's Kacy Howard won at No. 5 singles, beating Tara Sickler 6-0, 6-4.

The Leopards now turn their attention to the Class 2A, District 6 upcoming district tournament. When these teams meet again, Hernando coach Teri Sellers said she believes things will be different.

"My girls played real well, and they played a hard match today," she said. "I wouldn't want to say their team is better than us just because they won today. We are two really good teams, and we had a great match."

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