Marble Falls Netters fall to Wimberley

But the outcome was not meant to be as Marble Falls fell, 10-9, to Wimberley Oct. 4.

Still, head coach Josh Boyd said he was pleased.

“We won some matches that shocked me,” he said.

Chase Carney won, 8-2, in boys No. 2 singles. Blaine Hooten also won, 8-6, in boys No. 3 singles. 

“Chase and Blaine played really well,” the coach said. “Their forehands and backhand were good. Everything was clicking for them.”

The victory was especially sweet for Carney, Boyd said.

“He had some close matches that didn’t fall his way,” he said. “It was a confidence booster for sure. Chase was pumped up after his win.”

Though Connor Docherty lost at boys No. 1 singles, Boyd said the sophomore did not go down easily.

“Connor lost a close one,” he said. “The kid was pretty good.”

Afton Heinatz, Kyleigh Ann Futrell, Devon Dockery and Kelley Dowell had little trouble in girls singles. 

Boyd said he was really impressed with Dockery’s play.

“It seemed like her game as a whole came together – footwork, strokes, serve,” he said. “It was all clicking together. When that happens, it was a good feeling. It doesn’t happen very often.

“Kyleigh had a hard-fought match,” he added. “The girl was tough, and she pulled it out. Afton rolled through hers.”

He said he told the players to show the traits that have been emphasized at practices such as consistency and waiting for the opponent to make a mistake. 

As for doubles, the boys lost all three, but a lineup change forced Boyd to mix up the teams.

“We had a couple we could have pulled out,” he said. “We had a chance, but that team had a little more experience than them.”

The mixed doubles team of Docherty-Heinatz won as did the girls doubles teams of Futrell and Kristyn Cunningham and Dowell and Dockery.

Boyd said playing a non-district match against Wimberley served several purposes.

“The experience of our team playing together,” he said. “That’s what these matches are good for, to work on stuff and get experience.”

Marble Falls will travel to face Lake Travis, the No. 2-team in Class 4A, today at 4 p.m.