There have been barnstorming team in various professional sports over the year, most notably in baseball during the early 20th century where Major Leaguers would tour the country in an effort to spread the word about America’s pastime.
This summer, the Orange and Cedar Ridge women’s tennis teams are both brainstorming out of necessity. Their respective home courts are undergoing renovations, but development has run long. Orange’s courts should be completed next month. Cedar Ridge’s courts likely won’t be ready until next spring, which will force the Red Wolves to spend the entire season on the road.
Both teams have had to find different places to practice. Orange has worked out at the Fairview Park courts since last week.
On Monday, Orange and Cedar Ridge had to go to the Walker Tennis Complex in Mebane for its first head-to-head meeting, where the Lady Panthers used its experience to control.
Orange won all three of the doubles matches to defeat Cedar Ridge 8-1. Three of the nine matches went to 3rd set, 10-point tiebreakers, including the top two singles tilts.
Last year, Cedar Ridge won three dual matches against Orange, including their first-ever matchup in the 3A State Dual Team playoffs.
Both teams have a top singles player who has been at the varsity level for four years. Orange’s Shannon Sollars defeated Cedar Ridge’s Ella Caltabiano 6-3, 3-6, 10-5 (ten point tiebreaker) in the tightest match of the day. It was the first of two wins on the day for Sollars. Later, she would team with sophomore Molly Kruse to defeat Jasmin Brown and Terra Proctor 8-1 at #2 doubles.
Cedar Ridge’s only victory came in another three set battle. Senior Adeline Cummings defeated freshman Kalynn Mason 6-2, 5-7, 10-5.
The Lady Panthers would sweep the final four singles matches to improve its dual match record to 3-1, 1-1 in the Central Conference. Sophomore Ellie Wilson defeated Brown 6-4, 7-5. In another three set match, Oakley Gaddy held off Proctor 3-6, 6-0, 10-4. Junior Casey Robinson knocked off Lila Rhodes 6-1, 6-4. At #6 singles, Adelyn Alvis won Caroline Hall 6-3, 6-3.
In doubles action, Orange’s #1 team of Wilson and Mason won over Caltabiano and Cummings 8-3. Orange closed out the night with Robinson and Kyla Mehl beating Rhodes and Hall 8-1.
Orange 9, Person 0: On Wednesday, Orange braved temperatures that reached 95 degrees in a road trip to Roxboro for an easy win over the Rockets.
Person had three players. Mason won at #1 singles over Annie Adcock 8-1. Alvis defeated Lehra Pastrana 8-0. Orange’s Aubrey Petrosanu won over Makada Fife 8-0.
In the only doubles match, Mehl and Evelyn Gover defeated Adcock and Pastrana 8-2.
Orange is 4-1 overall, 2-1 in the Central Conference. Their next road trip is to Elon to face Western Alamance on Thursday. After the Labor Day holiday, the Panthers will travel to Graham to face Southern Alamance on Tuesday.
Cedar Ridge 9, Southern Alamance 0: Last week, Cedar Ridge won its first match under new head coach Al Caltabiano in its season opener. Ella Caltabiano won the first match of her senior year over Gabby Canup 6-0, 6-0. Cummings won at #2 singles over Madalyn Corbett 6-0, 6-1. Jasmin Brown won at #3 singles over Ava Lynch 6-1, 6-1. Terra Proctor defeated Cherish Ray 6-2, 6-2. Lila Rhodes captures the #5 singles match over Cayla Shaw 6-0, 6-1. Caroline Hall completed the singles sweep with a victory against Chloe Nelson 6-0, 6-0.
It was Cedar Ridge’s first match since 2021 without Cameron Mayhew in the lineup. Mayhew graduated in June after four years as the Red Wolves top singles player.
Cedar Ridge swept the three doubles matches. Caltabiano and Cummings teamed to defeat Canup and Corbett 8-0. Brown & Proctor defeated Lynch & Ray 8-2. Rhoades and Hall rolled past Shaw and Nelson 8-1.
The following day, Durham School of the Arts defeated Cedar Ridge 9-0. The Red Wolves got back in the win column on Wednesday with a victory over Eastern Alamance in Mebane. Cedar Ridge is 2-2, 2-1 in the Central Conference. They will face Western Alamance on Wednesday.