LADYCATS FALL IN SEMI-FINAL GAME
The Lady Wildcats made their 4th straight appearance in the AAAA State
Semifinals.  Their competition this year was the 4-time AAAA State Champion
girls from Wando High.  Coach Jackson knew this would be a very tough test
for his girls, but also knew that on paper, the matchup was VERY even.  He
encouraged the girls to go out and play with nothing to lose.  The girls
went out and played some great tennis and NEARLY pulled off the upset, but
in the end, Wando proved to be too tough as they won the hard-fought match
4-2.  Taylor Patterson played #1 against a very good left-handed senior who
got a LOT of balls back and was very scrappy.  Taylor fought hard early and
made her opponent frustrated for basically the entire match.  Taylor pulled
out the great win 6-2, 6-1.  Clair Larkin played #2 against a VERY tall girl
who hit the ball incredibly hard.  In the first set, Clair just couldn't
hang with her opponent because the girl was hitting so hard and basically
didn't miss a shot the entire set.  But, to Clair's credit, she didn't hang
her head.  She showed a lot of heart, fought back, and played AMAZING tennis
in the 2nd set to force a 3rd set tiebreaker.  The first half of the
tiebreaker was neck-and-neck, but Clair's opponent managed to play just a
little bit better as she won an incredible match 2-6, 6-2, 5-10.  Morgan
Patterson played #3 against a very talented senior who's experience proved
to be the difference.  Morgan played tough and got a LOT of games to deuce,
but the Wando senior was able to win most of those critical deuce points, as
she beat Morgan 2-6, 4-6.  Erin Green played #4 against another Wando
senior.  Erin got off to a tough start and her opponent kept the pressure
on.  Erin fought back in the second set, but just couldn't string together
enough of a rally and she lost 0-6, 3-6.  Sarah Kim played #5 against yet
another Wando senior.  Sarah played a great match, using her consistent
groundstrokes to control most of the points.  She won the match 6-4, 6-2.
Rachel Lovaas & Victoria Anderson played #2 doubles together against a very
talented, young Wando duo.  Rachel & Victoria probably played the best
they've played all season, working the ball deep and showing great touch at
net.  Unfortunately, the Wando pair played just a LITTLE bit better as they
took the victory 4-6, 5-7.  Coach Jackson was and is SO proud of his girls
and how hard they fought.  Wando went on to win their 5th consecutive AAAA
State Title, so obviously they were a VERY tough team.  If the Lady Cats
could've come up with a point or two in the critical matches, it could've
been them playing for a state title....it was THAT close.  The girls had a
GREAT season, going 18-2 and only losing to back-to-back AAA State Champ
Hilton Head 4-3 and the loss to Wando.  Coach Jackson couldn't be any more
proud of this year's team.  They were a great group to coach, got along well
together, and were all very talented tennis players.  Coach Jackson and the
younger players will miss the leadership of the 3 seniors:  Taylor
Patterson, Sarah Vickery, and Sachini Bandara.  They were the glue that
helped this team stick together.  This group of young ladies certainly made
Lexington High proud this tennis season.  Hopefully all of the younger girls
will come back to give it another shot next season.  Go Lady Cats!!!

LHS:  2
Wando:  4
 

Oct 31st
LADYCATS HEADED TO LOWER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!
The Lady Cats travelled WAY down south to play their 3rd round playoff match Tuesday afternoon against the girls from Beaufort High.  There was drizzle and light rain most of the bus ride down there, but once the girls got off I-95, things seemed to clear up.  The girls warmed up in the dreary weather and were ready to play.  The girls took to the courts knowing they were one match away from playing in the Lowerstate Finals.  The girls played very well given the lousy weather and won the match 5-1.  Taylor Patterson played #1 and had to go up against a very good player who hit with a lot of topspin and covered the court very well.  Taylor got off to a slow start and lost the first set quickly, but battled back to win a very tight second set, only to run out of gas in the third set tiebreaker.  The score ended up 1-6, 7-6, 5-10.  Clair Larkin played #2 against a very tall girl who hit very hard. Clair played well and won comfortably 6-3, 6-2.  Morgan Patterson played #3 and won her match easily 6-2, 6-0.  Erin Green played #4 against a lefty who hit the ball very hard and was solid from both sides.  Erin won the 1st set easily and then battled to win a close second set.  The score was 6-1, 7-6. Sarah Kim played #5 and easily won her match 6-0, 6-1.  Rachel Lovaas & Victoria Anderson teamed up to play #2 doubles and won their match 6-1, 6-4. The win moves the Lady Cats into the Lowerstate Finals, which will be played at the Lexington County Tennis Center on Oak Drive (behind the Barnyard Flea Market) at 4:00 on Friday.  The girls will be playing Wando, a team that has won the AAAA State Title 4 years in a row.  Come out before the footballgame and support the Lady Cats in what should be an AWESOME tennis match with 2 of the best schools in the state competing against each other.  Go
Lady Cats!!!!
LHS:  5
BHS:  1

Oct 31st
LADYCATS OUST SOUTH FLORENCE
The Lady Cats played their 2nd Round Playoff match at home Thursday afternoon against the girls from South Florence.  The last time these 2 schools met, it was for the 2002 AAAA State Title...and match which South Florence won 5-1.  Coach Jackson informed his girls of this fact and encouraged them to get revenge on that loss 6 years ago.  Boy did they play well!!!The Lady Cats won all 6 courts with relative ease.  Taylor Patterson played #1 and won her match 6-2, 6-2.  Clair Larkin played #2 and won 6-2, 6-1.  Morgan Patterson played #3 and beat her opponent 6-1, 6-0.  Erin Green played #4 and won 6-1, 6-1.  Sarah Kim played #5 and won 6-1, 6-0.  Rachel Lovaas & Victoria Anderson teamed up to play #2 doubles and won their court 6-1, 6-0.  It seemed like all of the girls finished their matches at the same time...a weird coincidence.  Coach Jackson was impressed with the effort the girls showed.  They definitely finished the 1st week of playoffs in strong fashion.  Next up for the girls will be a match against the winner of the Beaufort vs. Hartsville match.  Depending upon who wins that match, the girls may have to travel on Tuesday.  Check back for more details.  Go Lady Cats!!!!
LHS:  6
SF:  0

Oct 29th
ON TO ROUND TWO!
The Lady Cats played their 1st Playoff match against a familiar foe on Tuesday afternoon in some cold, WINDY conditions.  The girls from North Augusta made the playoffs and had to travel to Lexington to play our girls.  Coach Jackson has a great deal of respect for how the North Augusta coach runs her program.  Her kids have great attitudes and handle themselves very well on the court.  Unfortunately, this is the playoffs and Coach Jackson needed to start getting his top girls geared up for a deep run in the playoffs.  The girls didn't disappoint, winning all 6 courts with relative ease.  Taylor Patterson played #1 and won her match
6-0, 6-0.  Clair Larkin played #2 and also won 6-0, 6-0.  Morgan
Patterson played #3 and matched the top 2 girls with another 6-0, 6-0 performance.  Erin Green played #4 and beat her opponent 6-0, 6-1.  Sarah Kim played #5 and was the first one off the court with a 6-0, 6-0 victory.  Coach Jackson surprised the team by starting his 2 remaining seniors in the #2 doubles position.  Sarah Vickery and Sachini Bandara stepped in and got a hard-fought win 6-2, 4-6, 10-6.  The girls played well and are looking forward to the next round which will be this Thursday on our home courts against either James Island or South Florence.  Come out and support the girls as they try to extend their
season even further!!!
LHS:  6
NA:  0

Oct 22nd
LADYCATS FINISH ON TOP OF REGION
The Lady Cats concluded their region matches this afternoon against the girls from White Knoll on Senior Appreciation Day.  The girls all rallied behind their 3 seniors, Taylor Patterson, Sarah Vickery, and Sachini Bandara and won all 6 courts to finish the region with an undefeated 14-0 record!!!  The girls haven't lost a region match the past 2 seasons (they're a perfect 24-0 over those 2 years).  The girls won the region championship and will be a #1 seed when the playoffs start next Tuesday. Against White Knoll, Morgan Patterson played #1 and won 6-4, 6-0.  Victoria Anderson played #2 and won her match 6-0, 6-4.  Ashton Petta
played #3 and won 6-3, 6-1.  Dana Byars played #4 and won her match 6-2, 6-3.  Lauren McElveen played #5 in what turned out to be the match of the day.  Lauren struggled in the 1st set, but continued to work on a few things Coach Jackson suggested.  After getting down 0-2 in the 2nd set, the light switch flipped on.  Lauren won the 2nd set, the 10-point tiebreaker, and the match 2-6, 6-2, 10-5.  Seniors Sarah Vickery & Sachini Bandara teamed up to play #2 doubles and they weren't about to lose on Senior Day.  They easily won their match 6-1, 6-0.  Coach Jackson is very proud of all the girls have accomplished so far this season, but is still expecting great things from them during the playoffs.  This is the best and deepest team he's ever coached, so he'll keep pushing them hard to finish strong.  Come out and support the Lady Cats as they start their run through the playoffs next Tuesday (opponent & time to be announced soon!!!).  Go Lady Cats!!!!
LHS:  6
WK:  0

Oct 17th
REGION FINISH IN CLEAR VIEW
The Lady Cats took I-20 west yesterday afternoon to travel to North Augusta. Though it's a pretty boring drive, knowing the girls were playing very nice girls with a great coach and fans made it easier on the minds of Coach Jackson and the girls.  North Augusta always handles themselves with class and yesterday was certainly no exception.  There was friendly, competitive tennis on every court and the Lady Cats came out victorious with a 6-0 win. Erin Green played #1 against a very friendly opponent.  After Erin figured out how to move the 2 things attached to her legs, she played great tennis winning 6-4, 6-1.  Rachel Lovaas played #2 against another very nice girl who played a great match.  Rachel was able to pull out the 6-2, 6-3 win. Lauren Howard played #3 and won 6-2, 6-0.  Victoria Anderson played #4 and
won her match 6-3, 6-0.  Lauren Johnson played #5 and was the first one off the court.  She won 6-1, 6-1.  Sarah Vickery & Lauren McElveen played #2 doubles against North Augusta's 2 seniors in front of a crowd.  The girls composed themselves and played well, winning 6-1, 6-1.  The win keeps the girls undefeated streak in region play alive at 13-0.  The girls will try to cap off a wonderful region season on Tuesday when they host White Knoll on Senior Day.  Come out and support the seniors and cheer the rest of the team on as they try to finish off region play with an undefeated 14-0 record!!!
Go Lady Cats!!!
LHS:  6
NA:  0

Oct 15th
LADYCATS BLANK THE LADYFOXES
The Lady Cats played another tough region match Tuesday afternoon against the girls from Dutch Fork.  After beating them 5-1 the previous time, Coach Jackson knew the Dutch Fork girls would be looking for some payback.  But, the Lady Cats went out and played some great tennis and took all 6 courts.  Taylor Patterson played #1 and got redemption from an earlier loss to Dutch Fork's #1 player.  She got in a groove early and took advantage of her opponent's mistakes as she won the match 6-1, 6-3.  Clair Larkin played #2 against a girl who pushed her to 3 sets the previous time they played.  This time, Clair played better tennis and won the match in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.  Morgan Patterson played #3 and, despite struggling a little bit early in the match, she managed to find her consistency and win the last 10 games and the match 6-3, 6-0.  Annie Konduros played #4 and was firing on all cylinders from the start as she cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win.  Sarah Kim played #5 and was also in good form from the start as she won easily 6-1, 6-1.  Lauren Howard & Lauren Johnson teamed up to play #2 doubles and they played well together.  They won the first set easily and then had to battle to close out the match 6-0, 5-7, 10-4.  The win keeps the girls undefeated in region play (12-0) with only 2 more region matches remaining.  The girls travel to North Augusta on Thursday and close out the regular season next Tuesday with a home match against White Knoll.  Come out and support the Lady Cats as
they look to finish the season strong!!!
LHS:  6
DF:  0

Oct 10th
AND THE BEAT GOES ON
The Lady Wildcats traveled across the dam once again to play the girls from Irmo.  After beating them 6-0 the previous match, Coach Jackson knew the Yellow Jackets would come out looking for revenge...and he was correct.  The weather was gloomy and the Lady Cats didn't seem to have their "A" games yesterday afternoon, but they were still able to pull out a 4-2 win over their arch rivals.  Taylor Patterson played #1 and ran into a girl on a mission to get revenge on her prior loss to Taylor.  Taylor wasn't able to work the same strategy she'd employed the last time and her opponent was on fire from the start.  Taylor lost the match 1-6, 1-6.  Clair Larkin played #2 and continued her hot streak.  She defeated her opponent 6-3, 6-2.  Morgan Patterson played #3 and also beat her opponent 6-3, 6-2.  Annie Konduros played #4 and was the most dominant of all the Lady Cats yesterday.  She quickly disposed of her opponent 6-1, 6-1.  Sarah Kim played #5 and got off to a quick 3-0 start, but then seemed to hit a wall.  Her opponent raised her game and just played more consistent tennis than Sarah.  Sarah lost the match 4-6, 2-6.  Erin Green & Rachel Lovaas paired up to play #2 doubles.  They battled through the first set with neither side being able to hold serve.  After some words from Coach Jackson, the girls got in a groove and won the last 8 games of
the match.  They won 7-5, 6-0.  Coach Jackson is pleased with the outcome of the match.  The girls didn't have their best tennis yesterday, but were still able to beat a quality opponent.  Their undefeated streak in region play continues (11-0).  The girls will look to extend that streak on Tuesday when the girls from Dutch Fork come to LHS for what's sure to be another tough match.  Come out and support the Lady Cats Tuesday as they look to keep this awesome season going!!!!
LHS:  4
Irmo:  2

Oct 8
LADYCATS SCORE 2 MORE
The Lady Cats played a home match Tuesday afternoon against the girls from Orangeburg-Wilkinson High.  The first match with these girls was about half complete when a bunch of rain came and forced the completion of the match to not take place until yesterday.  So, the Lady Cats went out knowing they had to play 1 1/2 matches yesterday...but it didn't seem to bother them.  They swept every court in both matches winning the first match 6-0 and the second match 7-0.  In the first match, Lauren Howard played #1 and won 6-1, 6-1. Lauren Johnson played #2 and also won 6-1, 6-1.  Ashton Petta played #3 and beat her opponent 6-0, 6-0.  Sarah Vickery played #4 and won 6-0, 6-0.  Dana Byars played #5 and won 6-1, 6-0.  Lauren McElveen and Sachini Bandara played #2 doubles together and won 6-2, 6-1.  In the 2nd match, Lauren Howard played #1 and won 6-1, 6-0.  Lauren Johnson played #2 and won 6-0, 6-0.  Ashton Petta played #3 and won 6-1, 6-0.  Dana Byars played #4 and won 6-1, 6-0.  Sachini Bandara played #5 and won 6-0, 6-0.  Lauren McElveen and Sarah Kim played #2 doubles together and won 6-0, 6-0.  And for a little extra practice, Dana Byars and Lauren Johnson played #1 doubles and won 8-0.
After the tough competition at the Belton tournament this past weekend,
Coach Jackson was glad the girls could have a relaxing match and still get a couple of wins.  The next 3 matches the girls play will not be so easy.
Weather-permitting, the girls play at home on Wednesday against Bishop
England (the defending AA State Champs), at Irmo on Thursday, and a home match against Dutch Fork next Tuesday.  Come out and support the Lady Cats as they keep this excellent season going!!!
 

Sept. 11 match	Oct. 7 match
LHS:  6	LHS:  6
OW:  0	OW:  0

Oct 6th
LADYCATS HAVE STRONG SHOWING IN BELTON
The Lady Cats traveled to the Upstate of SC to play in the prestigious Hall
of Fame Classic in Belton, SC this past weekend.  This tournament always
draws some of the best girls tennis teams in the state and this year was
certainly no exception.  Wando, Hilton Head, Mauldin, JL Mann, AC Flora, and Bishop England were all there.  The girls went out and played amazing tennis the whole weekend.  The Lady Cats finished in 3rd place with a total of 25 points.  Mauldin was the Champion with 28 points and JL Mann finished in 2nd place with 26 points.  So, the girls were VERY close to finishing in that top spot.  Taylor Patterson played perhaps the best match of the tournament in her 1st round match against the #1 player from Hilton Head.  This was a rematch of the match they played a few weeks ago when the Hilton Head girl beat Taylor 0-6, 4-6.  Taylor went out determined to play better this time around and boy did she ever.  She got down 2-5 in both sets, but fought back each time, losing the 1st set in a tiebreaker and winning the 2nd set 7-5. The 10-point tiebreaker to decide the match was awesome, back-and-forth tennis with Taylor coming out on top 10-8 for perhaps the biggest win of her career.  Clair Larkin also played awesome tennis.  She beat #2 players from AC Flora, Hilton Head, and Mauldin to capture the #2 Singles title.  The results for each player are below:

Taylor Patterson: Runner-up in the #1 Singles draw
Clair Larkin:  Champion of the #2 Singles draw
Morgan Patterson:  4th place finish in the #3 Singles draw
Annie Konduros:  Runner-up in the #4 Singles draw
Sarah Kim:  3rd place finish in the #5 Singles draw
Taylor Patterson/Clair Larkin:  3rd place finish in the #1 Doubles draw
Erin Green/Rachel Lovaas:  3rd place finish in the #2 Doubles draw

Coach Jackson was very proud of the effort the girls put forth.  The
experience all of the girls gained by playing this tough competition should
give them confidence going into the home stretch of the season and it shouldshow them all an area or two they need to polish up on to be able to closeout the season in winning fashion.  The girls made Lexington High proud!!! Go Lady Cats!!!

 

Oct 3rd
RNE NO MATCH FOR THE CATS
The Lady Cats played a home match Thursday against the girls from Richland Northeast High.  The weather was absolutely PERFECT for tennis and the girls seemed to enjoy being on the court.  They went out and played some near-flawless tennis as they cruised to two 6-0 region wins.  The girls finished the match they'd started 3 weeks ago at RNE when rain came.  Those results were as follows:  Taylor Patterson won the #1 court 6-4, 6-0,  Clair Larkin won the #2 court 6-1, 6-0, Annie Konduros won the #3 court 6-0, 6-2, Morgan Patterson won the #4 court 6-0, 6-0, Victoria Anderson won the #5 court 6-1, 6-0, and Erin Green & Rachel Lovaas won the #2 doubles court 6-4, 6-0.  The girls played their regular match and also won easily.  Taylor Patterson played #1 against a girl who has been a solid player for quite a few years.  Taylor won a tough first game and won relatively easily the rest of the way 6-2, 6-0.  Clair Larkin played #2 and was on her game as she won 6-0, 6-1.  Annie Konduros played #3 and won easily 6-1, 6-0.  Erin Green played #4 and seemed to enjoy the break from #2 doubles as she was quick to dismiss her opponent 6-0, 6-0.  Victoria Anderson played #5 and also won easily 6-1, 6-0.  Morgan Patterson and Rachel Lovaas teamed up to play #2 doubles and also won in quick fashion 6-0, 6-1.  The girls are playing great tennis right now and Coach Jackson hopes this will have the girls confident and ready to play some VERY tough competition this weekend in Belton, SC. The girls will be playing some of the best girls tennis teams in the whole state (Wando - AAAA State Champion last year, Mauldin - AAAA State Runner-Up, Hilton Head - AAA State Champion last year, JL Mann - AAA State Runner-Up, Bishop England - AA State Champion last year, AC Flora - a team the girls barely beat earlier this season, and Belton-Honea Path High).  The girls will have to bring their "A" games, but Coach Jackson knows this will be a great test for the girls and will hopefully be something that gives the girls the extra push they'll need to finish the season strong.  The weather should be awesome and the competition will be great.  Check back next week
to see how the Lady Cats make Lexington High proud!!!

Oct 1st
LADYCATS DOMINATING REGION                        Ladycat Tennis
The Lady Cats hit the road Tuesday afternoon to start the 2nd half of their region schedule.  The girls arrived at the O'dell Weeks tennis
facility ready to play.  They all went out and took care of business
quickly, defeating the girls from Aiken High on all 6 courts.  Taylor
Patterson played #1 and won her match 6-0, 6-0.  Clair Larkin played #2
and won 6-2, 6-0.  Morgan Patterson played #3 and like big sister, she
defeater her opponent 6-0, 6-0.  Annie Konduros played #4 and battled a consistent player before pulling out the 6-4, 6-2 win.  Sarah Kim played #5 a day after battling a stomach bug and still won 6-1, 6-1.  Erin Green and Rachel Lovaas played #2 doubles and won 6-0, 6-1 in dominating fashion.  The win keeps the girls undefeated in region play and they'll try to extend that streak on Thursday when the girls from RNE come to visit.  Come on out and cheer the girls on as they continue this awesome season!!!
LHS:  6
AHS:  0

Sept 26th
LADYCAT TENNIS KEEP ON ROLLIN
The Varsity Girls tennis team traveled to play their rival, White Knoll,
on Thursday afternoon.  The weather was not AT ALL conducive for tennis,
but the show had to go on.  The girls battled the extremely windy
conditions and still managed to sweep all 6 courts.  Taylor Patterson
played #1 and played a smart match, winning 6-1, 6-1.  Sarah Kim played
#2 and played perhaps the quickest match Coach Jackson had ever seen.
She won 6-0, 6-0 in record time.  Lauren Howard played #3 and won the
battle of long points as she won 6-0, 6-3.  Sarah Vickery played #4 and
fought hard all the way to a 6-3, 6-2 victory.  Lauren McElveen played #5
and won in much the same fashion as she did on Tuesday as she won 6-2,
6-2.  Dana Byars and Sachini Bandara teamed up to play #2 doubles and
quickly dispatched their opponents 6-0, 6-3.  The win for the Lady Cats
keeps them undefeated in region play.  Coach Jackson was impressed with
how focused the girls were despite the terrible conditions.  It just
shows him that when the girls put their minds to something, there's not
too much that can stop them from achieving their goals.  Go Lady Cats!!!
LHS:  6
WK:  0

Sept 22nd
LADYCATS REMAIN PERFECT IN REGION
The Lady Wildcats played another home match Tuesday afternoon against the girls from North Augusta High.  Coach Jackson always enjoys playing North Augusta because their coach is a very nice lady and her girls have great attitudes and sportsmanship.  Despite windy conditions, the Lady Cats went out and took care of business, winning all 6 courts.  Morgan Patterson played #1 and won her match 6-2, 6-1.  Erin Green played #2 and defeated her opponent 6-1, 6-0.  Rachel Lovaas played #3 and also won 6-1, 6-0.  Lauren Johnson played #4 and battled her way to a 6-4, 6-2 victory.  Lauren McElveen played #5 and got her first Varsity win with a 6-2, 6-2 performance.  Victoria Anderson & Sachini Bandara paired up to play #2 doubles and won 6-1, 6-3.  Coach Jackson was very pleased with the effort
and the result.  The wind made things pretty challenging, but the girls fought through it and played well.  The girls play another region match at rival White Knoll on Thursday where they'll try to stay undefeated in region play.  Go Lady Cats!!!
LHS:  6
NA:  0

Sept 18th
LADYCATS ON THE PROWL
The Varsity Girls Tennis team made the trip across the dam to play their 2nd tough, region match of the week against the girls from Dutch Fork.  After beating Irmo earlier in the week, the girls were ready to get back out and continue their excellent play....and boy did they!!!  The girls played great tennis and beat a very good opponent 5-1.  Taylor Patterson played #1 against a very good tournament player.  Taylor played an excellent first set and was up in the 2nd set before wearing down a little, perhaps from playing 3 tough matches this week.  She fought hard to the end, but lost the match 6-2, 4-6, 4-10.  Clair Larkin played #2 against a very good left-handeder.
The two battled hard the 1st set, but Clair couldn't pull it out.  She collected herself and was a totally different player from that point on, dominating her opponent and winning 5-7, 6-1, 10-4.  Morgan Patterson played #3 and continued her superb play as she beat a very consistent player 6-2, 6-1.  Annie Konduros played #4 and was able to overpower her opponent in a 6-4, 6-2 win.  Sarah Kim played #5 and once again showed she can outlast even the most consistent players as she won her match 6-1, 6-2.  Erin Green & Victoria Anderson again teamed up to play #2 doubles and played really well together in their 6-3, 6-1 victory.  Coach Jackson is thoroughly impressed with the effort and intensity the girls showed this week.  They played their 2 hardest region opponents and came away winning 11 of 12
matches.  If the girls keep this kind of play up, there's no telling just how far this team can go.  Next week, the girls have a home match on Tuesday against North Augusta.  Come on out and support the girls during this incredible season they have going.  Go Lady Cats!!!
LHS:  5
DF:  1

Sept 17th
LADYCATS SHUTDOWN IRMO                Varsity Girls Tennis
The Varsity Girls Tennis team played their first match against rival Irmo Tuesday afternoon.  The girls knew this would be a big test for them and Coach Jackson was anxious to see how his girls would handle the pressure of a tough region match.  To his pleasure, the girls went out and took care of business, winning all 6 courts....something that Coach Jackson is pretty sure no other Lexington girls tennis team has ever done.  The girls played fantastic tennis!!  Taylor Patterson played the #1 spot, despite being under-the-weather.  She played a very smart match and worked her game plan to near perfection.  She beat one of hardest hitting girls Coach Jackson has ever seen 6-4, 6-1.  Clair Larkin played #2 and
shook off a slow start to win decisively 6-4, 6-0.  Morgan Patterson played on the #3 court and was able to outlast her opponent in most points, as she won 6-1, 6-1.  Annie Konduros played #4 and won her court with some big serves and hard grounstrokes 6-3, 6-4.  Sarah Kim played in the #5 spot and played a girl who was her mirror image.  There were many long points, but Sarah was able to come out with the tough 6-3, 6-4 win.  Erin Green and Victoria Anderson played #2 doubles together and played a very steady and consistent match, winning 6-3, 7-6.  Coach Jackson is very pleased with the way the girls stepped up and played well when they needed to.  He's hoping this sets the tone for how they'll need to play throughout the region matches and on into the postseason.  Next up is a tough away match against Dutch Fork.  Come out and support the Lady Cats!!!
LHS:  6
Irmo:  0

Sept 8th
HILTON HEAD SQUEAKS BY WILDCATS
The Lady Cats took to their home courts Monday afternoon to play one of the premier high school girls tennis teams in the entire state...the girls from Hilton Head High.  Hilton Head is home to several elite tennis training facilities, so the girls that play down there are all very experienced, tournament players.  Coach Jackson knew this would be a great test for his girls, but like them, he eagerly looked forward to the opportunity to see what his girls were made of.  He was not to be disappointed.  Taylor Patterson played #1 and had to play a phenomenal all-around player.  Taylor quickly lost the first set, but didn't hang her head, as she made the second set very close.  She ended up losing that match 0-6, 4-6.  Clair Larkin played #2 and went out with her game face on.  She quickly dispatched of her opponent 6-2, 6-1.  Annie Konduros played in the #3 spot and really played a great match.  Her opponent just proved to be too tough in the end, as Annie lost a close match 4-6, 3-6.  Morgan Patterson played #4 against a girl who will likely end up in the #2 spot for Hilton Head before the season is over...she was GOOD.  Morgan fought hard but just couldn't quite outduel her opponent as she lost 2-6, 1-6.  Sarah Kim played #5 and was very consistent for most of the match.  She wore down her opponent and won the match 6-3, 6-4.  Erin Green & Rachel Lovaas teamed up to play #2 doubles.  The team needed them to win this match to force a deciding #1 doubles showdown.  Erin & Rachel played great and pulled out the 6-2, 6-4 win.  So, the match came down to a deciding #1 doubles match.  Taylor & Clair played a very tough first set....a set that had 4 games go to deuce.  Unfortunately, Taylor and Clair lost all 4 of those deuce games and lost the set.  They got down 0-3 in the 2nd set, but Coach Jackson encouraged them to keep fighting hard to the very end, regardless of what the score was.  The girls got it back in gear and played excellent doubles from that point on.  Unfortunately, they fell just short, as they lost that second set in a tiebreaker and the match 2-6, 6-7(5).  Coach Jackson was and is incredibly proud of his girls.  They fought very hard on every court against arguably the best girls tennis team in the state.  Hilton Head won the AAA State Championship last year and will likely win it again this year, so losing to them as close as they did is nothing to be ashamed of.  This great experience should propel the girls into the meat of their season and make other "tough" matches pale in comparison.  The Lady Cats made Lexington tennis proud yesterday!!! 
Go Lady Cats!!!
LHS:  3
Hilton Head:  4

Sept 5th
LADYCATS ROLL IN REGION OPENER              LADYCAT TENNIS
The Varsity Girls got their region matches started on Thursday with a home match against the girls from Aiken High.  Coach Jackson knew Aiken had some young players that have improved a lot over the past year, so neither he or his girls were taking this match lightly.  The Lady Cats went out and took care of business fairly quickly, winning all 6 courts.  Taylor Patterson played #1 and defeated her opponent 6-0, 6-1.  Clair Larkin played #2 and was the first court to finish as she won 6-0, 6-0.  Annie Konduros played #3 and pulled out a nice 6-2, 6-1 win.  Morgan Patterson played #4 and beat her opponent 6-0, 6-2.  Sarah Kim played #5 and had to battle against a girl who got just about everything back.  Sarah was able to prevail with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.  Rachel Lovaas and Victoria Anderson teamed up to play #2 doubles and got an easy 6-0, 6-1 win.  Coach Jackson was impressed with the determination the girls took to the courts with.  They seemed very focused and ready to play.  He hopes the girls bring that intensity on Monday afternoon when the girls play one of the best high school girls tennis teams in the state...the defending AAA State Champs, Hilton Head High.  That match will be at LHS and will start at 5:00.  Come on out and support the Lady Cats as they try to knock off this very talented team!!!
LHS:  6
Aiken:  0

Sept 3rd
GIRLS VARSITY TENNIS PULLS OUT SQUEAKER
The Varsity Girls Tennis team traveled to AC Flora High School yesterday to take on one of the best girls tennis teams in AAA.  Coach Jackson knew this non-region match would be a good test for the girls and hopefully show them what they need to work on or just how strong they really are going to be this year.  Taylor Patterson played a near-flawless match in the #1 spot and beat her opponent 6-1, 6-0.  Clair Larkin played #2 against a very consistent player.  Clair could never get into her normal, awesome game and she lost a tough match 4-6, 3-6.  Annie Konduros played #3 and played some of her best tennis in this early season.  She defeated her opponent 6-3, 6-2.  Victoria Anderson was asked to play up at the #5 spot and she had to play against a girl who was Flora's #1 player last year and will soon be again once her foot injury heals up.  Victoria played well against a very tough, tournament-tested player.  Victoria lost 1-6, 1-6 but Coach Jackson was very impressed with her effort.
Sarah Kim and Rachel Lovaas played #2 doubles and just couldn't work out a good consistent strategy as they lost a very tight match 6-7, 4-6.  The match of the day was on the #4 court, which is where 8th grader Morgan Patterson played.  She played another very consistent player who is tournament tough.  Morgan lost the first set but continued to battle hard.  She managed to win the 2nd set in a tiebreaker to force a 3rd set tiebreaker to decide the match.  She played an awesome tiebreaker and pulled out the BIG win 3-6, 7-6, 10-4.  This meant the match had to be decided by a #1 doubles match.  Taylor Patterson and Clair Larkin teamed up and were dominant in a 6-0, 6-0 win. 
The Wildcats' 4-3 win is impressive considering Erin Green was out sick and given the toughness of the competition (AC Flora will likely be one of the top 4 teams in AAA
this year).  Coach Jackson is proud of all the girls for fighting hard and getting an excellent 1st win of the season.  He's also happy the girls were able to get a wake-up call while still pulling out the win.  The girls play their first home and region match of the season on Thursday against Aiken.  Come on out and cheer the Lady Cats on!!!!
LHS:  4
Flora:  3