Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Davie girls tennis coach Collin Ferebee couldn’t have asked for much more from his team in the season opener against visiting Forbush on April 27.

Despite only having one senior in the top six, Davie defeated the Falcons 5-4.

“Forbush is a good program,” Ferebee said. “They went 14-3 last year and made the Sweet 16 in the (2-A) state playoffs. So I knew it was going to be a tough match.”

Davie picked up four wins in singles. They came from sophomore Karlie Quinn (6-3, 6-4) at No. 1, senior Laura Newsom (6-2, 1-6, 10-5) at No. 4, junior Abby Fletcher (6-3, 6-2) at No. 5 and sophomore Sarah West Marklin (6-0, 6-0) at No. 6.

The win was clinched at No. 3 doubles, where Fletcher/Marklin won easily, 8-3.

“We’re young,” Ferebee said. “We’re in Year Two of a rebuild (after going 6-9 overall and 3-7 in the Central Piedmont Conference in 2019). We have three sophomores starting in our top six. Of the 13 we have, eight of them are freshmen and sophomores.

“We didn’t play particularly well. It was an ugly win, but it’s a weird year, we didn’t have a preseason and a win is a win.”

•••

The beginning of Central Piedmont Conference play was rough for the War Eagles, who lost 8-1 to West Forsyth and 6-3 to Reynolds.

At home against West on May 5, sophomore Sarah West Marklin was Davie’s only winner. The No. 6 seed pulled out a long, heated battle (5-7, 7-6, 10-7). She also became the only War Eagle to start the season 2-0.

“Honestly, it’s one of those where it was closer than it looked,” Ferebee said. “Yeah, West is better and deservedly won, but everyone felt positive that we were competitive overall.”

One day later at Reynolds, Davie was swept in singles. The day wasn’t a total loss because Davie swept doubles. The Newsom sisters (Laura and Leslie) won 8-4 at No. 1, Fletcher/Marklin won 9-8 at No. 2 and Ali Cranfill/Gabby Thompson won 8-2 at No. 3.

“We were playing without Karlie Quinn at No. 1, so the girls did their best playing out of position,” Ferebee said.

Davie (1-2, 0-2 CPC) has three-match losing streaks to West and Reynolds.