FORTVILLE — Greenfield-Central had come full circle.
The Cougars girls tennis team lost a 3-2 decision to Hancock County and Hoosier Heritage Conference rival New Palestine on April 27.
Since the loss, G-C had won seven straight and had one tie to wrap up its regular season with an impressive 9-4-1 record.
Monday’s IHSAA girls tennis sectional selection committee drew out a Cougars-Dragons Part II.
When the teams met Wednesday in the opening round of the Mt. Vernon Sectional, the Cougars got that definitive measuring stick, a chance to play the team they last loss to.
They found out, quickly, they’d come a long way.
The Cougars won the first set in four of five matches on their way to a 3-2 victory.
G-C will take on Eastern Hancock in one of two semifinal matches today at 4:30 p.m. Mt. Vernon plays Pendleton Heights in the other. The winners will meet for the title, and a berth into next week’s North Central Regional, on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
“We knew we were close in April,” Greenfield-Central coach Michael Turpin said. “We were right there. Sometimes it’s just a matter of proving to yourself it was as close as you thought it was. Getting those first sets (Wednesday) was a huge help and we were able to keep going.”
Singles players (No. 3) Brianna McConnell and (No. 2) Jaclyn Layton and the doubles teams of (No. 1) Ali Knecht-Hallie Smith and (No. 2) Leah Puckett-Makayla Price each opened with first set wins.
McConnell and both doubles teams ended up with straight set victories.
McConnell beat Courtney Johnson 6-1, 6-0. The Puckett-Price team got off the court next with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Lily Haeberle-Josephine Harvey 6-2, 6-4.
The victory was clinched with Knecht-Smith’s 6-2, 6-3 victory over Lucy Miller-Maddy Potter.
Though it was against a different combination of players, Knecht-Smith lost the last time against the Dragons.
“Our last match against them wasn’t our best. We wanted to come out big and finish it (Wednesday) and get that win,” Knecht said. “We were moving so much more and we were avoiding (hitting) the (ball to the player at the) net.”
Turpin believes last month’s loss against New Palestine was a big turning point for his team. They’ve proven that by going nine straight matches without a loss.
“That was kind of a wakeup call, to an extent,” he said. “We knew where we could be and I think that kind of lit a fire in our girls. We played some tough opponents during that span. We had some close matches but they kept digging deep each night.
“We can’t come out half effort and expect to get a win. From point one, you have to bring it.”
Which is exactly what they did. They fed off the momentum of the first-set wins.
“I thought Greenfield played well,” New Palestine coach Jean Graham said. “We got off to a slow start and didn’t get going until our second sets.”
New Palestine’s No. 1 player Abby Blachly defeated G-C’s Zoe Starks 6-2, 6-0 and will continue in the individual sectional tournament next week at North Central High School.
NP’s Olivia Hasenkamp came back in a 2-hour, 15-minute match against Layton for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win.
Miller was the lone senior in the Dragons lineup. Blachly is a junior and the rest of the team that played Wednesday were freshmen and sophomores.
“We’ve got good girls, a good foundation and we’re building,” Graham added.
Today’s semifinal is the first team matchup of the season between Greenfield-Central and Eastern Hancock, though a few players went head-to-head during the county tournament held on April 23.
Mt. Vernon and Pendleton Heights are meeting for the second time. MV won the first meeting 5-0 in the season opener for both teams in early April.
