The Van Buren Pointers won their season opener with a win as the team split with Bentonville West on Thursday.
Jay Bell rallied to pick up a win in the No. 2 men’s singles as the men’s team won 8-1.
Jay Bell, who had teamed up with Bryan Bell earlier for a doubles match, fell behind 6-1 in his first set, but bounced back to win 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-7.
Van Buren coach Brandy Mosby went to chat with Jay between the first and second sets. He told his coach, “Coach, I got this one. I’m good.”
“That’s not your typical Jay, and he just had this little grin on his face like ‘everybody better just take a step back because you ain’t seen nothing yet.’ So I just did that,” Mosby said. The old Jay Bell wouldn’t have won that tiebreaker in the second set. I could not have been prouder of Jay for this match.”
Jay Bell led 5-2 in the second set, but Taylor Brandt came back to tie it up 6-all. Jay Bell won the tiebreaker in the second set and the 10-point tiebreaker third set.
Kyle Porter picked up a golden set, a second for the team. Braydon Montgomery had one last season against Conway. A golden set means the winner of the set didn’t lose a single point to the opponent.
Also grabbing wins were Len Huang, Justin Deuley and T.J. Saniseng. The Pointers swept all doubles sets.
The Lady Pointers dropped their first match of the season, 6-3.
Zoe Morrison had the only win for the women’s team as she defeated Kristella Mulkunkiko, 8-2.
“(Zoe) did really well, and she needed this one,” said Mosby. “She is really trying to work on the things we have talked about in practice, and I was very proud of her.”
Lauren Cervantes lost the No. 2 singles contest to Raschna Paruchrui, 6-4, 4-6, 9-11. The match lasted almost three hours.
“The points were all long ones and the girls were definitely tired,” Mosby said. “It was grueling to watch, but I don’t think I have ever seen Lauren battle it out that long. It was a confidence builder for her. It proves she can do it.”
The match was the first outing for Bentonville West, which opened up this season. The Wolverines are coached by Hunter Alexander, who was an assistant at Tulsa Union and the head junior high coach.
Van Buren arrived in Bentonville ready to play on Thursday, but was hit with a torrential downpour which delayed the start time of the match until 6:30 p.m. The match concluded at 9:40 p.m.
“Some of these kids played a two or three-hour match,” Mosby said. “I was really impressed with their focus and their heart to want to go out there and give it their all no matter what.”
VAN BUREN TENNIS
Men's Results
Singles
1. Hayden Shoemake (BWHS) def. Bryan Bell, 6-0, 6-1.
2. Jay Bell (VB) def. Taylor Brandt, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-7.
3. Kyle Porter (VB) def. Andrew Yang, 8-0.
4. T.J. Saniseng (VB) def. Bryant Thomas, 8-0.
5. Justin Deuley (VB) def. Andres Alvarado, 8-1.
6. Len Huang (VB) def. Wesley Graham, 8-0.
Doubles
1. Porter/Saniseng (VB) def. Shoemake/Yang, 8-0.
2. Bell-Bell (VB) def. Brandt/Thomas, 8-0.
3. Abel Diaz/Len Huang (VB) def. Alvarado/Graham, 8-1.
Women's Results
Singles
1. Sarah Scherenger (BWHS) def. Allison Lemley, 6-2, 6-1.
2. Raschna Paruchrui (BWHS) def. Lauren Cervantes, 4-6, 6-4, 11-9.
3. McKenzie Bing (BWHS) def. Lexi Blasingame, 8-0.
4. Jessica Hood (BWHS) def. Alyssa Seewald, 8-2.
5. Zoe Morrison (VB) def. Kristella Mulkunkiko, 8-2.
6. Alyssa Kroth (VB) default
Doubles
1. Bing/Raschna (BWHS) def. Blasingame/Maldonado, 8-1.
2. Hood/Scherenger (BWHS) def. Betsy Corona/Callie Ables, 8-1.
3. Kroth/Morrison (VB) default
Van Buren Tennis
Men's Results
Singles
1. Hayden Shoemake (BWHS) def. Bryan Bell, 6-0, 6-1.
2. Jay Bell (VB) def. Taylor Brandt, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-7.
3. Kyle Porter (VB) def. Andrew Yang, 8-0.
4. T.J. Saniseng (VB) def. Bryant Thomas, 8-0.
5. Justin Deuley (VB) def. Andres Alvarado, 8-1.
6. Len Huang (VB) def. Wesley Graham, 8-0.
Doubles
1. Porter/Saniseng (VB) def. Shoemake/Yang, 8-0.
2. Bell-Bell (VB) def. Brandt/Thomas, 8-0.
3. Abel Diaz/Len Huang (VB) def. Alvarado/Graham, 8-1.
Women's Results
Singles
1. Sarah Scherenger (BWHS) def. Allison Lemley, 6-2, 6-1.
2. Raschna Paruchrui (BWHS) def. Lauren Cervantes, 4-6, 6-4, 11-9.
3. McKenzie Bing (BWHS) def. Lexi Blasingame, 8-0.
4. Jessica Hood (BWHS) def. Alyssa Seewald, 8-2.
5. Zoe Morrison (VB) def. Kristella Mulkunkiko, 8-2.
6. Alyssa Kroth (VB) default
Doubles
1. Bing/Raschna (BWHS) def. Blasingame/Maldonado, 8-1.
2. Hood/Scherenger (BWHS) def. Betsy Corona/Callie Ables, 8-1.
3. Kroth/Morrison (VB) default
