​Eagles tennis blanks Wildcats 9-0 on Senior Night

by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News
 
Veteran girls tennis coach Randy Draper noticeably had on a unique shirt Monday at his team’s Senior Night match against Blue Springs.
 
He wore a Hawaiian style shirt with cut-out headshots of his three senior players on it along with some head shots of himself in a hat and sunglasses.
 
It was a gift from senior seniors that was given to him before the match.
 
““Oh they were so proud of themselves!” Draper exclaimed with a smile.
 
That wasn’t the only thing Draper received from his players. They also delivered a dominant 9-0 win over the Wildcats at home.
 
Two of his three seniors, Courtney Hicks and Delaney Thurn cruised to a No. 1 doubles victory over Genevieve Melton and Tamera Reed 8-1. Hicks noted the duo came into the match with a lot of confidence after defeating Platte County’s No. 1 doubles team last week.
 
“After playing Platte County and beating them in doubles, Delaney and I have our chemistry down,” Hicks said. “I thought we played great today, and we backed each other up.
 
Added Thurn: Courtney is really good at the net because she is really good at overhangs and volleys. I am a good back person.”
 
Thurn had a much tougher time in her singles match against Melton, which she won 8-6.
 
“I had to stay resilient and think about the next point,” Thurn said.
 
Draper gave Thurn high praise while he was looking at pictures of Thurn on her Senior Night display board.
 
“This was back when the racquet was as big as she was,” Draper said while pointing to a picture of a younger Thurn. “Delaney has become a really good No. 1 player, which is not easy to do.”
 
Hicks dispatched Reed in the No. 2 singles match 8-0.
 
“I just had to stay consistent and make sure I kept the ball in play,” Hicks said.
 
Grain Valley’s other varsity senior, Kaelynn Clausen, won the No. 3 singles match against Lucy Johnson 8-2 and teammate up with sophomore Avery Lunn to beat Johnson and Eliana Barrios 8-1. Lunn took down Barrios 8-2 in No. 4 singles.
 
In No. 3 doubles Grain Valley junior Lily Lunn and sophomore Peyton Hazlett defeated Harlee Carrio and Briana Buck 8-1. Lily Lunn took down Carrio 8-1 at No. 5 singles and Hazlett won her No. 6 singles match against Buck 8-1.
 

Grain Valley seniors Delaney Thurn, left, and Courtney Hicks dominated their doubles match 8-1 and both won their respective singles matches during a 9-0 victory over Blue Springs Monday at home on Senior Night. Photo credit: Michael Smith
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