Bucktail’s historic tennis run ends in semifinals, 3-0

By Bees O’Brien

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The accolades that the 2022 Bucktail Lady Bucks tennis team collected during the course of the season were historic for the program. 17 wins, the program’s first outright Mid Penn Conference championship and their first ever trip to the District 4 2A semifinals were the highlights, but their season would be cut short on Tuesday afternoon against a Pennsylvania Heartland powerhouse in Hughesville.

The 2-seeded Lady Spartans swept through the singles portion of the match to earn a 3-0 victory over the Lady Bucks and earned a spot in the state playoffs. Hughesville will meet fellow PHAC opponents Jersey Shore Thursday to crown the 2A champions.

Hughesville’s District 4 singles runner-up Sarah Buck proved just how good she was when she made quick work of Bucktail senior Kayla Probert at number one. Probert would take every game to the limit, but Buck showed why she had already earned a spot in PIAA singles tournament by eventually downing Bucktail’s number one 6-1, 6-0.

It was Hughesville’s number two Kylie Kilgore continuing the hot start for the Lady Spartans against Bucktail’s Alexis Lowery. Kilgore’s 6-0, 6-0 decision set the tone for Hughesville.

The two-seeded Lady Spartans kept rolling at number 3 as Annaka Bruder knocked off senior Bella English 6-0, 6-1 to set the final at 3-0.

Bucktail’s doubles teams were doing fairly well before their matches were pulled.

Both of Bucktail’s losses had come against PHAC opponents and both will meet for the championship and head to the state tournament. Bucktail finished 17-2 and their perfect 8-0 MPC record gave them the conference title, but a loaded Heartland Conference outshined the MPC.

PIAA District IV 2A Team Tournament Semifinals
Hughesville 3, Bucktail 0

1) Sarah Buck (H) def. Kayla Probert (B) 6-1, 6-0
2) Kylie Kilgore (H) def. Alexis Lowery (B) 6-0, 6-0
3) Annaka Bruder (H) def. Bella English (B) 6-0, 6-1