Gryphons tennis falls in third round

The Rocky Mount High girls tennis team’s season came to an end on Monday in the third round of the NCHSAA Class 3-A dual team playoffs.

The Gryphons lost, 5-1, to New Hanover in Wilmington. The match was decided after the six singles matches, and the two teams opted not to play doubles.

“My girls were extremely upbeat despite the loss,” coach Wayne Holloman said. “They were very upbeat because they realized what they did. They are literally one of the best eight tennis teams in the state. And as much as we hated to lose, they’re a group that can see the bigger picture.”

That wide-angled view is possible because the team will largely remain intact next season as the Gryphons will lose just one player — Lauryn Clark — from their lineup due to graduation.

Clark finished her career as a winner as she managed to win at No. 4 singles. The team’s lone senior earned a victory to give her teammates a chance at forcing doubles. RMH was competitive in a couple other matches, and for a moment looked as if they would be able to extend the match.

In a close decision at No. 2, Katie Moss fell, 6-4, 6-3. Elsewhere, Caroline Land forced a pair of tiebreakers at No. 6 before losing 7-6, 7-5.

“I was very proud of Lauryn,” Holloman said. “She got to go out and finish her four-year career with a win.”

The Gryphons finished second in the Big East Conference, before rattling off a pair of victories to advance into the third round of the postseason. It was the second consecutive season the Gryphons were knocked out in the third round.

Last year’s team made a run with two talented seniors atop the lineup. RMH didn’t miss a beat this season, and turned in a remarkable year. The young team features three sophomores, a pair of juniors and a senior.

“Any time you lose your top two players you’re supposed to drop off,” Holloman said. “So to make it as far as last year’s upperclassmen-laden team is one heck of an accomplishment. It was refreshing to see.

“What the girls have done isn’t lost on them. They all understand that it’s pretty impressive.”

Clark will be the only player lost to graduation, and Holloman said he is already thinking about next season. The first-year coach plans to make arrangements for a tough nonconference schedule that he hopes will include all of this season’s three playoff opponents.

RMH beat Clayton in the first round, then edged Greenville Conley to reach New Hanover in the third round. All three teams have shown interest in adding the Gryphons to their schedule next season as well.

Holloman is trying to beef up the competition his players will see in order to be better prepared for a future postseason run. Wilson Fike, the Big East Conference winner, joined the Gryphons as the only teams in the conference to finish with winning records.

“For us to be able to play high level teams will be such a benefit to these girls,” Holloman said. “We got beat by a better team today, there’s no way around that. And hopefully, having this experience, seeing what it takes to play at the level, will drive them next year.

“But I couldn’t be any more proud with what they’ve done. It was fun.”