PAOLI – The wait was worth it.
After the first two matches of the 2024 campaign were wiped out by bad weather, Bedford North Lawrence finally made its late debut and recorded a team triumph in the Paoli Invitational on Saturday.
BNL’s Kenley Craig and Izzy Alldredge went undefeated at No.1 doubles while Nadia Anderson (back from a knee injury that ended her 2023 season) won both her matches at No.3 singles to pace the Stars.
Craig and Alldredge started with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Evansville Christian’s Carmen Hall and Emerson Hammett, then capped their day with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Southwestern’s Reagan Crawford and Kaylee Hite.
Anderson opened with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Evansville Christian’s Peyton Gobin, then rolled past Paoli’s Michaella McDonald 6-1, 6-1.
“I’m really pleased with our play today,” BNL coach Joni Stigall said. “For our first match to be a tournament that started on a really cold morning, we did great.”
BNL also posted wins in the other lineup spots. Becca Epping topped Southwestern’s Ava Barnes 7-5, 6-0, in her second match at No.1 singles, Jesse Faubion posted a tight 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 (in the super tiebreaker) victory over Southwestern’s Emma Hatton at No.2 singles. Meryl Kline and Emma Conover stopped Paoli’s Ava Hall and Morgan Flannery 6-1, 6-1 in their debut at No.2 doubles.
“Very few of these girls have varsity match experience,” Stigall said. “So to come into a tournament and win it, I couldn’t be happier. We have a lot to work on and to improve upon, but I will take a win any day.”
The Stars will host Bloomington South on Tuesday.
PAOLI INVITATIONAL
Singles
1 Maddie Warren, Paoli d. Becca Epping, BNL 6-4, 6-1; Epping d. Ava Barnes, Southwestern 7-5, 6-0
2 Jessie Faubion, BNL d. Emma Hatton, Southwestern 6-4, 4-6, 10-7; Gracie Brown, Paoli d. Faubion 6-3, 4-6, 10-8
3 Nadia Anderson, BNL d. Peyton Gobin, Evansville Christian 6-0, 6-2; Anderson d. Michaella McDonald, Paoli 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
1 Kenley Craig and Izzy Alldredge, BNL d. Carmen Hall and Emerson Hammett, Evansville Christian 6-4, 7-5; Craig and Alldredge d. Reagan Crawford and Kaylee Hite, Southwestern 6-0, 6-3
2 Meryl Kline and Emma Conover, BNL d. Ava Hall and Morgan Flannery, Paoli 6-1, 6-1; Natalie LaRue and Joceleyn Johnson, Southwestern d. Kline and Conover 4-6, 6-3, 10-6
