Zoe Brais knows it's only a matter of time before she must help carry on the success of Beaufort High's tennis team. Still, when coach David Riedmayer asked her to move up from JV to varsity for last month's Region 8-AAAA opener, the eighth-grader spent much of the match volleying her emotions.
"I was shaking the whole time," the smiling eighth-grader said about her No. 1 doubles experience against Colleton County. "I tried to stay calm but I was really scared since I knew the match would affect our region record."
With the jitters out of the way and Brais inserted at the No. 5 singles spot for Thursday's home match with West Ashley, this time, she looked more than ready to handle the torch.
Using strong serving and solid backhand play, Brais swept Brittany McClain 6-1, 6-1 to help the Eagles secure a 6-1 win against the Wildcats. Brais was one of six JV players who have gained valuable experience during the Eagles' 30th region victory in their last 31 contests.
"It was nice to see them under these circumstances and get a look at how our future team will look," said Riedmayer, whose team is 13-3 overall and 5-0 in the region. "They're young, but I can tell they have bright futures here."
Fellow eighth-grader Maggie Edwards found herself fighting off nerves during her own varsity initiation on Thursday. But after establishing a solid chemistry with No. 2 doubles partner Jackie Homyk and keeping her opponents' on the move with quick strokes, Edwards and Homyk scored a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
"It was hard at first, but I made a few adjustments that made things a little easier," Edwards said. "It didn't feel that much different, but it was nice to get this experience."
Moving up several spots to No. 1 and No. 2 singles, Chelsea and Charlotte Bellomy took advantage of Aundrea Vealey and Casey Ripley's flat-footed approach with strong, crosscourt strokes to win in straight sets. But perhaps more importantly, the sisters showed an increased endurance after battling the flu during the past two weeks
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