SENATOBIA — Pillow Academy’s varsity tennis team upped its record to 6-0 on the season with a conference road victory over Magnolia Heights Thursday.
“I was real happy with our kids and the way we dominated today,” interim head coach Chuck Brown said. “We handled the wind well, and I am seeing a lot of progress from where we were at the start of the year.”
Brown will serve as interim coach for the rest of the regular season and the postseason as head coach Holly Ann Singh is on maternity leave.
Leading the way in the 8-match-to-1 win for the Mustangs was senior Brady McDaniel. He defeated highly touted Victor Fantaziu 6-1, 6-3 in No. 1 boys singles. Also winning in boys singles was Pillow junior Sunjay Chawla, who won his No. 2 boys singles match over Nathan Fernholtz 6-0, 6-0 in 20 minutes.
Pillow’s Maggie Taylor won her No. 1 girls singles match with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Burch Franklin. Teammate Dia Chawla was also dominant with a 6-0 6-0 victory over Mary Mason Norwood in No. 2 singles. And the No. 1 girls double tandem of Mari-Brian Crick and Madison Jefcoat defeated Mag Heights’ Mary Pittman and Madison Miller 6-0 6-0.
Pillow’s boys doubles duos won both of their matches. Smith Lyon and Cole Tyler won their No. 1 match 6-0, 6-0 over Will Rayburn and Peyton Neal. Floyd Melton IV and Jeff Jackson won the No. 2 match 6-2, 6-0 over Dakota Fernholtz and Coats Reed.
Anne Craig Melton and Elizabeth Powers completed the victories for Pillow with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Avery McIver and Emma Shell in No. 2 girls doubles.
Pillow suffered its only defeat in mixed doubles, with John Hollis Tackett and Julia Love Lyon falling 4-6, 6-1, 10-2 to Aaron McIngvale and Jovi Jones.
“I thought John Hollis and Julia Love got tight after winning the first set and never recovered,” Brown said. “If they just relax and execute, they will be fine and ready for the playoffs in a couple of weeks.”
The Mustangs will be back in action Tuesday when they host conference foe and archrival Washington School. The Mustangs defeated Washington 6 matches to 3 earlier this year in Greenville.
The squad will then close out the year next Thursday when they host perennial powerhouse Jackson Academy. The Raiders are the only other squad in Academy AAAA that is undefeated in MAIS play this year. They defeated Pillow 6 matches to 3 last year in Jackson, handing the Mustangs their only loss of the year.
