Liberty Bell tennis teams split with Lake Roosevelt at home, beat Oroville

By Don Nelson

The Liberty Bell High School girls’ and boys’ tennis teams split a home match against Lake Roosevelt last week, then went on the road to sweep Oroville.

The Lady Lions beat Lake Roosevelt, 4-1, on April 26 while the boys fell, 2-3. Logan Butler, playing No. 1 for the girls, won handily, 6-1, 6-2. Larkin Lucy dropped her match, 1-6, 3-6, but coach Dave Schulz said her play has been improving. No. 3 singles player Tiva Ward won, 6-4, 6-2.

The doubles team of Erin Frey and Ruthann Matteson prevailed, 6-0, 6-0, while Chloe Temple and Shelby Vintin claimed a 6-3, 6-4 win.

For the boys, Alex Whites played in the No. 1 singles slot and lost, 2-6, 2-6. Grayson Alexander, playing at No. 2, also dropped his match, 4-6, 4-6. Nate Hirsch claimed the lone singles victory, 6-4, 6-3. Josh Frey and Jesse Schulz locked up in a long, tough battle with the Lake Roosevelt No. 1 doubles team to take the first match, 7-6, on a 13-11 tie-breaker. The Liberty Bell duo won the second set, 6-4. In the final doubles match, Isaac Blodgett and Tyler White lost, 3-6, 4-6.

At Oroville, the girls won, 4-0, while the boys also triumphed, 4-1.

Butler again played in the No. 1 singles slot, winning 6-3, 6-1. Lucy followed with a 6-4, 6-4 win (there was no third singles match). Frey and Matteson blanked the Oroville No. 1 doubles team, 6-0, 6-0, and Temple and Vintin finished the day with a 6-3, 6-4 win.

Grayson Alexander, playing No. 1 singles for Liberty Bell, lost 2-6, 2-6, but the Mountain Lions took the next four sets. Forest Rickabaugh won 6-0, 6-0; Whites won 6-1, 6-1; Josh Frey and Jesse Schulz had another convincing win, 6-0, 6-1; and Blodgett and Tyler White took their match, 6-1, 6-3.

Liberty Bell hosts Entiat on Wednesday (May 4) at 4 p.m. and finishes the week on its home courts against Pateros on Thursday (May 5) at 4 p.m.

Next week, the Mountain Lions travel to Entiat on May 10, then play in the league tournament on May 13 at Omak.