Kaitlyn Snyder and Kaytlin Pearce will keep the Lady Tigers tennis season alive for a while longer. Snyder and Pearce qualified for sectionals in the doubles bracket during Friday’s district tournament at Republic.
In the district championship match, Snyder and Pearce lost a 5-2 lead in the first set and never recovered. Kickapoo overcame two set points to force a tiebreaker, which the Chiefs won 7-3. In the second set, Republic had a chance to nab a 2-0 lead, but Kickapoo overcame multiple break points to even things up, then cruised to a 6-1 win.
Before that, Snyder and Pearce had qualified for sectionals with with a long, three-set win over Springfield Central, 6-2 3-6 6-4, in the district semifinals. In the third set, Republic got an early break to take the lead, but Central broke back to even the set at 4-4. Snyder and Pearce broke serve again in the very next game to nab a 5-4 lead. Snyder served out the match, and Republic clinched the victory on a volley winner from the net by Pearce.