The NC Lady Warrior varsity tennis team entered the first round of the 2021 GHSA state championship with a first round matchup against the East Coweta Indians. Coming off a successful region tournament that featured a trip to the region finals, the Lady Warriors remained dominant in the opening round. Led by a strong group of seniors, NC steamrolled the Indians with a quick 3-0 win. 

“I think the team played great. We got on and off the court pretty quickly and efficiently. I’m excited for the competition as we get further in the tournament. We’re going to have some tough matches, but i know we can do it,” senior doubles player Alex Preston said. 

The Lady Warriors, who entered the upper east side of the bracket as the 2nd seed, won quickly and effectively with wins from both doubles and singles lines. The duo of Magnet senior Karen Graham and senior Alex Preston posted a 6-0 6-0 win at the 1 doubles spot. The tandem continued their winning ways this season, and remains a vital piece of the Warriors’ lineup. Freshman Mana Fawcett followed with a 6-0 6-0 win at 1 singles, pushing the overall team score to 2-0. Senior Olivia Drake, who committed to Coker University to play tennis earlier this semester, clinched with a 6-0 6-0 win at the 2 singles position. Drake used her powerful strokes and consistency to prevail over her opponent. 

“We prepared for East Coweta well, especially by keeping each other positive in practice, which translated to us hyping everyone up in the match. Our focus for the rest of state playoffs is to play smart and take each match one at a time,” sophomore Jordyn Zignego said.

The NC Lady Warrior tennis team followed their first round win with a pair of practices to prepare for the Lowndes Vikings in round two. Led by four seniors in their starting lineup, the region finalists hope to send their seniors out on a high note. With head coach Andrea Drake and the NC community behind her, the Lady Warriors could make a deep run in this years’ state playoffs.

“Our focus is not on reaching the state finals, or the final four, or even the elite eight. Our focus is on every single match, every single game, and every single point that we play over the course of the postseason,” Preston said. 

Make sure to check out the Lady Warriors’ progress in this years’ state playoffs as they take on the Lowndes Vikings on April 21.