Mixed tennis results

CLOVIS - The Clovis boys and Portales girls have started off their seasons strong. The Portales boys and Clovis girls have struggled a little bit.

Both of those themes continued when the teams met for a non-district contest Monday at Clovis High School. Clovis' boys took the duals 5-4, while the Ram girls took an 8-1 victory.

Clovis claimed the boys victory before the final match was complete - a 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 win for Portales' Tyler Underhill over Brandon Heath in No. 5 singles.

"We played well today overall," Clovis boys coach Brad Heath said. "There were some matches that didn't go our way, but that's tennis. Some of the matches went the other way, but if you look at the two singles matches we lost, they both went to tiebreakers and they were both 8-10."

Underhill was one of four players to go undefeated on the day - two of them Wildcats, two Rams.

David Heath swept Pancho Lopez 6-1, 6-4 in No. 1 singles, and joined his brother Brandon in No. 1 doubles to top Zeke Aguirre and Lopez 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). Sumito Richeson beat Drake Long 6-2, 6-2 in No. 2 singles, then he and Grant Pall topped Long and Brett Horton 6-3, 6-2 in No. 2 doubles.

Portales' Jacob Roberts defeated Jahlen Yager 1-6, 6-4, 10-8 in No. 6 singles, then teamed with Underhill in No. 3 doubles for a 6-4, 6-4 win over Yager and Cade Jones.

Portales coach Ann-Marie Bucksath felt the match was a good experience despite the team loss.

"It's not all about getting wins early in the season, but more about where you finish.," Bucksath said. "I'm seeing improvements in their ground strokes and their confidence pretty consistently."

In girls play, the visiting Rams took five of the six singles flights and swept doubles play. Taryn Wood and Laura Blaeser didn't drop a set between them on the day. Wood defeated Andrea Mendoza 6-4, 6-3 in No. 4 singles, while Blaeser topped Ayia Alseleh 7-5. 6-4 in No. 5 singles. The two paired up in No. 2 doubles, and blanked Karyssa and Alex Gonzales.

"They played strong overall," Bucksath said. "For a week without practice, they came out ready. I gave them spring break off."

Brittany Albin scored the lone win for Clovis, topping Danielle Riuz 6-3, 6-3 in No. 2 singles. She and Ryan Harmon pushed Ruiz and Bilberry in No. 1 doubles, but lost in a 10-4 third-set tiebreak.

For Clovis, the loss follows a rough go at the Santa Fe, with a sixth-place finish.

"The positive is each time they've played," coach Jeannette Albin said, "I see a little more confidence in them. We've got a long way to go, but I'm proud of them. They fight."