The Dodge City High School girls tennis team did not spend too much time lingering on their third place finish at the Western Athletic Conference championships on Monday in Great Bend.

After losing the opportunity to win a second-straight WAC championship by just one point on Monday, the Red Demons returned to the practice courts on Tuesday in preparation for this weekend’s regional tournament.

“They’ve shown that they’re focused,” Dodge City head coach David Snodgrass said. “At this point, it’s more mental preparation. I think they’ve been able to take that disappointment from Monday’s performance and turning it into positive energy.”

Despite the third place team finish, the Red Demons swept the singles brackets. Junior Leah Stein won all of her matches to earn a WAC championship in the No. 1 singles pool.

Stein was also named WAC Player of the Year.

“It was incredible,” Stein said. “I really wasn’t expecting it because it’s usually a senior (who wins it). I was proud of how I played and when they announced it I was really excited.”

Senior Daniella Villarreal also won an individual WAC title in the No. 2 singles bracket. Villarreal, who holds an 18-9 record this year, has been playing tennis in the United States for the first time this season.

The exchange student from Colombia is now looking forward to the challenge of qualifying for the state tournament.

“I know that there are going to be hard games but I always keep a positive attitude and think that if you want to win, you’re going to try and fight for every ball,” Villarreal said.

The Dodge City girls placed fourth in last year’s regional tournament and qualified four Red Demons for the 6A state tournament. Stein (22-7) took third place in the No. 1 singles bracket.

Senior Hannah Sowers was part of a doubles team that also earned a trip to state. Sowers will compete in the No. 1 doubles bracket with Marin Dameron this Saturday.

Kameron Lowery and Abigail Argumendo will play No. 2 doubles.

“Our singles have the best opportunity from what they’ve done throughout the year,” Snodgrass said. “It’s going to be a little tougher in doubles. It will depend on seeding and match ups. I think both doubles teams stand a good chance if they get a good match-up. They are both capable.”

Action will begin Saturday morning at Wichita Northwest High School.

By John Zetmeir, Dodge City Daily Globe

Throughout the regular season, Dodge City High School girls head tennis coach David Snodgrass said that he wanted to see his team continue to improve so that they would be playing their best tennis by the time October rolled around.

On Monday afternoon in Liberal, Snodgrass did not feel like his team competed to its best ability.

The Red Demons fell to Garden City and Hays by just one point in the Western Athletic Conference championship meet. Garden City won a tiebreaker with the Indians to earn the WAC title.

“I still think our team as a whole was the most talented team but we just didn’t have the fight today,” Snodgrass said. “Hays and Garden City definitely went out there and competed like they wanted to win a WAC championship and they definitely deserved the opportunity.”

Junior Leah Stein and senior Daniela Villarreal both earned WAC titles, Stein in No. 1 singles and Villarreal in No. 2 singles. Stein was also named WAC Player of the Year.

Stein won all four of her matches which included a hard-fought 8-5 win over Liberal’s Tierra Stoney who lost just one match on Monday. Villarreal dropped one match to Garden City’s Tayrin Tabor in the first round but rebounded with three straight wins to finish the day.

“They did what they needed to do to get those individual championships and help us be in contention as a team,” Snodgrass said.

On the doubles side, Hannah Sowers and Marin Dameron took third place in No. 1 doubles while Abigail Argumedo and Kameron Lowery finished fourth in No. 2 doubles. Sowers and Dameron fell to Garden City 8-2 in round one before ending the day with an 8-3 loss to Hays.

Argumedo and Lowery were blanked by Garden City in the first round and fell to Hays 8-3 to end the day.

“We just have to make sure that we fight and claw and win those decisive points in those tight matches,” Snodgrass said. “All of those games could have gone different ways. Instead of being down 6-1, it could be 4-3.”

The Red Demons will have four days of practice to prepare for regionals this Saturday at Wichita Northwest.

“It’ll be interesting to see how the ladies respond,” Snodgrass said. “I think that they are definitely disappointed and definitely a little frustrated as well. So I hope that they are able to take all of that and respond with the adversity and practice a little harder this week going into regionals.”

By John Zetmeir, Dodge City Daily Globe