Myrtle Beach girls tennis wins Lower State, will play for another state title
After her team beat another perennial power to advance to the Class AAA state championship match, Myrtle Beach girls tennis coach Jeri Himmelsbach was quick to speak of the talent in the Lower State.
For the third season in a row, the Seahawks proved they were the best of the bunch.
Myrtle Beach beat Hilton Head Island 6-0 on Tuesday night to advance to the state championship for the third straight season. The Seahawks won the state title a year ago after losing in the finals in 2013.
“It’s always huge at Hilton Head. There’s just electricity in the air when our two teams play,” said Himmelsbach, whose team lost to Hilton Head Island in the 2012 Lower State finals before ousting their Seahawk counterparts the last three seasons. “It’s just a huge win. The girls came out solid. It was just a great team effort.”
While it was a rout on paper, Himmelsbach said the competition was fierce.
“There were some great matches and some great rallies,” she said. “Hilton Head is always a good team. Hats off to them. They’re well coached and they have really classy girls. The scores didn’t reflect the great points and rallies they had.”
However, it’s the Myrtle Beach squad that will try to win its second straight state title. The Seahawks will face either A.C. Flora or Daniel, which play for the Upper State title Wednesday night as rain has hampered much of the playoff slate.
“The finish line is right ahead,” Himmelsbach said. “We’re taking it one match at a time. If we play our best game like we did tonight I think it will all come out all right.”
According to the South Carolina High School League, the state championship match is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Cayce Tennis Center.
▪ Singles: Elizabeth Truluck (MB) def. Jen Oliver 6-0, 6-0; Emma Springs (MB) def. Sarah Wood 6-4, 7-5; Bailey Deskins (MB) def. Holly Kerr 6-4, 6-2; Paxton Gentry (MB) def. Sydney Hall 6-4, 6-2; Sarah Woodard (MB) def. Henry Clare Cram 6-3, 6-2.
▪ Doubles: Catherine Truluck/Cayce Roberts (MB) def. Nicole Diaz/Sabrina Soliz 6-1, 5-7, 10-5.
▪ Records: Myrtle Beach 18-3.
This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 11:39 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach girls tennis wins Lower State, will play for another state title."