This afternoon, Cedar Ridge will host its first state championship match in the women’s tennis team state championships in seven years. It’s tough to imagine a more appealing first round matchup than the one they got.
The Red Wolves, seeded #14, will face crosstown rival Orange this afternoon in the opening round at Red Wolves Tennis Courts.
The brackets, released on Monday, mark the first time the tournament has expanded to 64 teams. In previous years, it has been a 32-team tournament.
Cedar Ridge (13-5) earned a home match for the opening round after finishing second to Walter Williams in the Central Carolina Conference.
The winner of Orange-Cedar Ridge will face either Rocky Mount, seeded #3, or South Central, the #30 seed. That match will take place on Monday with the higher seeded team hosting.
The last time the Red Wolves played a state playoff match in Hillsborough, it was when they won the Big 8 Conference championship in 2016. They reached the state quarterfinals after wins over Swansboro and Walter Williams under then-head coach Lennie Corbett.
Orange (13-5) reached the state dual team tournament for the third straight year, a first in school history. Coached by Justin Webb, the Lady Panthers defeated First Flight in the opening round in 2022. In 2021, they defeated Fike in the first round.
Cedar Ridge swept the season series from Orange. On September 5, the Red Wolves defeated Orange 6-3. On September 27, the Red Wolves knocked off the Lady Panthers 6-3 in a match that drew a large crowd that grew somewhat salty as the night went on.
One way or the other, it will be the final home match for Cedar Ridge tennis coach Steve Mayhew, who will step down at the conclusion of this season. As a student, Mayhew played at Orange High and became the coach of the Red Wolves men’s and women’s teams in 2019 after Corbett stepped down.
Mayhew has been around long enough to see both of his children earn Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year honors. His son Josh earned the honor three times. Now, his daughter Cameron has a trophy of her own.
Last week during the Central Carolina Conference championships, Mayhew was named the CCC Player of the Year after a dominant season in singles and doubles play. Mayhew finished undefeated in conference matches as a singles player and registered a 13-2 singles record overall. In doubles play, Mayhew and partner Adeline Cummings went 8-4. They were the only team to defeat Orange’s Erinn and Shannon Sollars this year. On September 5, Mayhew and Cummings defeated the Sollars 8-5. Mayhew and Cummings won the rematch 8-4 on September 27.
Overall, Mayhew has a career-high 21 wins this season as the Red Wolves have had its best season in seven years.
Mayhew will be the top seed from the CCC in this weekend’s Mideast Regionals at the Burlington Tennis Center.
The Red Wolves will also have a doubles team represented in the Mideast Regionals. Senior Catherine Ballenger and junior Ella Caltabiano qualified after winning two matches at the Burlington Tennis Center last Wednesday. Caltabiano and Ballenger received a bye into the second round, where they defeated Gracie Hartle and Grace Gabrielli of Walter Williams.
Caltabiano and Ballenger have been the #2 doubles team for Cedar Ridge this season. Their only losses in conference play have been against Williams’ team of Lindley Oler and Lauren Turner.
Mayhew’s brother, Josh, became the first Cedar Ridge men’s tennis player to reach the 3A State singles final. Mayhew led the Cedar Ridge men’s team to the 2022 CCC Championship, just the second conference title in men’s tennis in school history. Mayhew reached the Mideast Regional final three times and is the most successful men’s player in school history. He now plays at Belmont-Abbey College.