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Forging ahead

The chemistry between Western Albemarle junior Emily Kochard and freshman Maddy Ix is clear. The Warriors’ No. 1 doubles team meshes together almost seamlessly, working through problems on the court quickly and efficiently while playing top-flight tennis.

“It’s always so much fun playing doubles with her,” Kochard said. “She had some great net shots and we really played well as a team. I would set her up and she’d put it away.”

Friday, that tandem provided the final blow in a 5-2 Group AA semifinal victory over E.C. Glass with a 6-4, 6-3 dismantling of Glass’ state doubles semifinalists Sydney Moon and Paige Riley. With the win, Western advances to the Group AA final Saturday morning against Jamestown at Virginia Tech. The Eagles cruised 5-0 over Hidden Valley in the day’s other semifinal.

During a match filled with distractions — specifically Claire Park’s marathon singles match that had the potential  to give the Warriors a huge leg up — that chemistry and the duo’s ability to focus was exactly what Kochard and Ix needed.

“It’s hard to not watch the singles courts next to us but we just really wanted it really badly,” Kochard said. “We had so much momentum and motivation — we were very determined.”

Park did her part too, winning a grinding, three-set bout against Taylor Weaver at No. 4 singles. Park cruised early with a 6-2 win in the first set and then Weaver countered with a 6-1 blowout in the second set. Park reset herself before the third set with a little unorthodox style, bobbing and almost dancing between some points.

“I love to dance and sing — that’s how I always pump myself up and I kind of lost it a little,” Park said. “I just needed to think of a song and stick with it.”

The technique worked as she went to a tiebreaker with Straw and then won that tiebreaker 7-3. The win gave Western a 4-2 advantage and put Ix and Kochard in position to close out the win without putting the No. 2 or 3 doubles on the court.

Glass and Western both had to endure a prolonged match as the teams occupied just three courts inside the Virginia Tech indoor facility as a Group AA boys semifinal raged on the other three courts. While Kochard helped set the table for the Warriors with her own 6-0, 6-4 win over Moon in singles, E.C. Glass actually built a 2-1 lead during the first three singles matches with wins at No. 2 and No. 3.

Western bounced back in a huge way in the second set of singles clashes though, with one of the biggest boosts for Western came from Stephanie Barton’s gritty 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 6 singles. With Fran Clifton winning at No. 5 and Park eventually closing out at No. 6, Western had turned the early deficit into a dominant win.

“It was really a team effort, everyone played really really great, competitive tennis,” Kochard said.

The Warriors will face off against Jamestown Saturday at 9 a.m. at Virginia Tech.

Western Albemarle 5, E.C. Glass 2

Singles

1. Emily Kochard (WAHS) def. Sydney Moon (ECGHS), 6-0, 6-4

2. Paige Riley (ECGHS) def. Maddy Ix (WAHS), 6-4, 6-3

3. Ruby Hutchison (ECGHS) def. Lauren Kearns (WAHS), 6-2, 6-2

4. Claire Park (WAHS) def. Taylor Weaver (ECGHS), 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3)

5. Fran Clifton (WAHS) def. Katie Gray Bammer (ECGHS), 7-5, 6-1

6. Stephanie Barton (WAHS) def. Julia Nelligan (ECGHS), 6-4, 6-4

Doubles

1. Kochard & Ix (WAHS), def. Moon & Riley (ECGHS), 6-4, 6-3

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