Marino, Branham lead Polk effort at WHC tennis tourney

Polk County’s doubles team of Bella Marino and Trinity Branham qualified for the 2A West Regional with their showing at Thursday’s Western Highlands Conference postseason tennis tournament at Owen.

Marino and Branham defeated Owen’s Jaiden Tweed and Ashley Valencia 10-8 in the quarterfinals, earning a semifinal spot and with that a trip to the West Regional on Friday at Gardner-Webb University.

Marino and Branham fell in the semifinals to Hendersonville’s Haley Fair and Amy Yarborough, the eventual conference champions.

Both Haven Dufford in singles and the doubles team of Rhian and Reese Alley won first-round matches before falling in the quarterfinals.

Singles
First Round
Haven Dufford (Polk) d. Avery Burleson (Owen) 10-4  Ellie Jull (Hendersonville) d. Juniper Walter-Eger (Polk) 10-5

Quarterfinals
Annabelle Webb (Hendersonville) d. Haven Dufford (Polk) 10-0  Hannah Rice (Avery) d. Madison Devan (Owen) 10-5 Rachel Morrow (Hendersonville) d. Morgan Paris (Avery) 10-2  Hamrick Perry (Hendersonville) d. Ellie Jull (Hendersonville) 10-2

Semifinals
Annabelle Webb (Hendersonville) d. Hannah Rice (Avery) 10-2 Hamrick Perry (Hendersonville) d. Rachel Morrow (Hendersonville) 10-3

Final
Annabelle Webb (Hendersonville) d. Hamrick Perry (Hendersonville) 6-4, 6-1

Third place
Rachel Morrow (Hendersonville) d. Hannah Rice (Avery) 8-3

Doubles
First Round
Anne Thomas Mathews-Kate Austin (Owen) d. Katy Crowder-Kelsy Sullivan (Mtn. Heritage) 10-2 ; Rhian Alley-Reese Alley (Polk) d. Ashlynn Wright-Aaliyah Hoffman (Mtn Heritage) 10-5

Quarterfinals
Haley Fair & Amy Yarborough (Hendersonville) d. Mathews-Austin (Owen) 10-1; Bella Marino-Trinity Branham (Polk) d. Jaiden Tweed-Ashley Valencia (Owen) 10-8; Katie Lawhern-Grace Lawhern (Mtn. Heritage) d. Madison Johnson-Destiny Morrison (Avery) 10-5; Savannah Church-Ollianne Raney (Avery) d. Alley-Alley (Polk) 10-3

Semifinals
Fair-Yarborough (Hendersonville) d. Marino-Branham (Polk) 10-1; Church-Raney (Avery) d. Lawhren-Lawhren (Mtn. Heritage) 10-6

Finals
Fair-Yarborough (Hendersonville) d. Church-Raney (Avery) 6-0, 6-0