Bucktail tennis ascends to the top of D4 standings following two big wins
By Bees O’Brien
FARWELL, PA- Aided by a Jersey Shore loss on Monday and back to back wins over the NTL’s top two programs, Bucktail tennis has finally climbed to the top spot in the current PIAA District IV 2A standings.
The Lady Bucks (14-0) currently hold the top spot over Central Columbia (10-1), Hughesville (13-1), Jersey Shore (13-1) and Montoursville (10-4). Rounding out the current top 8 are Cowanesque Valley (8-2), South Williamsport (7-3) and Loyalsock (5-7). Only the top 8 advance to the district team tournament held in a couple of weeks.
For Bucktail it was a busy slate Tuesday and Wednesday. They faced off with Cowanesque Valley on Tuesday and handed the Lady Indians a 4-0 loss. CV’s only two losses on the year came at the hands of the Lady Bucks.
Bucktail defeated Cowanesque Valley 4-0, with the final doubles match being pulled due to inclement weather. Once again the Lady Bucks played strong in singles with Kayla Probert, Alexis Lowery and Bella English having little trouble. That all but locked up victory for Bucktail over a Cowanesque Valley team basically projected to capture the NTL Championship and be that league’s only playoff representative in a down year for the Northern Tier League.
The Lady Bucks then would host another NTL team on Wednesday taking on the NP-Liberty Lady Mounties. Bucktail made quick work of NPL for the second time this season by a 5-0 score.
Singles for Bucktail had very little trouble as Kayla Probert, Alexis Lowery and Bella English breezed past their opponents in straight sets.
Doubles would bring similar results. Eva Sockman and Gigi Balchun easily dispatched Angeline Benitez and Ellie Brian 6-2, 6-1. Makenna Stone and McKenna Bissman took down NP-Liberty’s Amy Feaster and Ella Weiskopff 6-1, 6-4 to complete the Bucktail rout.
The Lady Bucks will be finishing out their 2022 regular season undefeated bid next week with a meeting with St. John Neumann (0-9) on Monday in Williamsport. They will then travel for a huge clash with Jersey Shore on Tuesday at Jersey Shore. They can then wrap up the first outright Mid Penn Conference tennis championship on Thursday in Farwell against South Williamsport.
