Lady Cats tennis back on the court
Superior senior Lanie Crabb returns a backhand shot in her home court return after a year out with a knee injury. Crabb split a pair of number one singles in a multi-team match this past Saturday in Superior. (Photo by Micki Tourtelotte)
For tennis fans in Superior and around the area, it was a welcome site indeed.
Not just the fact that the Lady Bobcats were on the home courts, outdoors, and it was a sunny day, but the fact that Lanie Crabb was swatting tennis ball across the net.
Out for a year with a knee injury that sidelined one of the best tennis players in the region, not to mention kept an outstanding volleyball and basketball player on the sidelines, Crabb was back in action this past Saturday at a multi-school tournament on the Superior High tennis courts.
As the only tennis playing school in either Sanders or Mineral County, the Lady Cats were also glad to have their senior leader back on the courts.
“It is unbelievably nice to have Lanie back playing,” said new Superior tennis coach Rick Berreth.
As the team’s number one singles player, Crabb, who made it to the state championship tournament two years ago, showed she no doubt has some good, if not a bit rusty, tennis skills.
She lost one of her matches to the number one player from Missoula Loyola, 0-8, but also beat the number one from Boulder (Jefferson High), 8-5.
Overall, the Lady Bobcats had a good showing against their visitors.
Number two singles player Taylor Awbery beat her Loyola opponent 8-5 and lost another match 4-8. She wound up 2-1 for the event. The Cats' number three singles player, Trina Azure, swept all three of her matches, winning by 8-4, 8-4 and 8-3 scores.
Number four singles player Trina Azure finished with a 1-2 tournament record.
In doubles play, the Lady Bobcats number one duo, Perri Jasper teamed with Crabb and went 1-2, beating Valley Christian’s number one doubles team 8-5 and losing to Loyola 6-8, and lost to another team which featured a state champion player from last year, 3-8.
Superior’s number two doubles team, Olivia Grueter and Ireland Heimrich lost to Loyola 4-8 and beat Mission’s duo 8-2.
Next up on the schedule for the Lady Bobcats is another home meet Saturday, April 27 at noon, with Granite (Philipsburg) and Mission providing the opposition.
The Cats have three home meets scheduled this year as opposed to one event in Superior last year.