Talented Kings Mountain squad tops Polk in girls tennis

Kings Mountain, a rising powerhouse in girls tennis, notched an 8-1 win Thursday over Polk County in action in Kings Mountain.

The Mountaineers swept singles competition and were led by freshman Natalie Lutz, who has been winning regional tennis tournaments and playing in national events for several years, at one point ranked as the top 12 and under player in the region. She entered the summer ranked in the top 150 in girls 16s in North Carolina.

“It’s getting harder and harder to find matches against tennis teams that have players who have not been trained by lessons for years,” said Polk County head coach Richard Davis. “It is very clear that in this particular sport that if you have not been trained through private lessons for several years, one is going to have a hard time competing.

“I’m very proud of the effort my team gave, and once again the gaining of valuable experience against a tough opponent. Hopefully, when we get to conference opponents, we will be a little more competitive and perhaps more match- ready.”

Juniper Walter-Eger and Sarah Woods teamed for an 8-4 win at No. 3 doubles to earn the lone point for Polk County, who returns to action Tuesday, hosting West Henderson at 4 p.m.

Singles
1. Natalie Lutz (KM) d. Rhian Alley 6-0, 6-0. 2. Kassie Johnson (KM) d. Haven Dufford 6-3, 6-2. 3. MC Johnson (KM) d. Juniper Walter-Eger (PC) 6-0, 6-0. 4. Carragan Leatherman (KM) d. Trinity Branham 6-1, 6-0. 5. Amber Belcher (KM) d. Bella Marino 6-2, 6-1. 6. Kayla Condrey (KM) d. Sarah Woods 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
Lutz/Johnson (KM) d. Alley/Dufford 8-1. 2. Scott/Baker (KM) d. Marino/Branham 8-1. 3. Walter-Eger/Woods (PC) d. Hunt/Belcher 8-4.