Matinee performance: Vikings shut out rival Southmoreland, 5-0
ALVERTON – Mount Pleasant didn’t drop a set in a Section 1-AA road match played early Monday afternoon for a 5-0 victory at Southmoreland.
Mount Pleasant improves to 3-2 in the section and 5-2 overall. The Scotties slip to 0-3 in the section and 1-5 overall.
The Vikings’ Aydan Gross didn’t lose a game in his straight-sets victory at No. 1 singles against Nolan Blaze.
The noon start time is rare for weekday sporting events, but the rescheduled match from an earlier rainout was done to avoid the anticipated solar eclipse.
“(The earlier start) doesn’t bother me. I like it earlier. I have more energy. I’m more fresh. I don’t have to sit through school all day (until the start of the match),” explained Gross.
Gross returns to the courts today in the WPIAL Class AA Singles Championship when he faces Winchester Thurston’s Chris Zhu.
“I wanted to work on my serve a little bit (today). I wanted to keep it nice and easy,” said Gross.
Gross is playing in his first district championship.
“I have a little bit of nerves. I have confidence after the way I played in the section finals. That was the best I played in a while,” said Gross, who lost to Valley’s Landon Harcleroad, 6-3, 6-4, adding, “I have confidence going into the WPIALs.”
Gross has a pretty simple approach to the WPIAL tournament.
“I expect everyone to be good. You have to go give it your best,” said Gross. “My goal is to win my first two rounds and that will take me to states.”
The Vikings’ Carter Mates lost two games in his straight-sets victory at No. 2 singles against Ethan Kenney.
The Scotties’ Reed Pollard played Nico Pisula tough in the first set at third singles before falling 6-4. Pisula finished off the straight-sets victory with a 6-0 win in the second set.
“I was playing real defensive (early in the match). I started to play more offensive. It just didn’t go the right way,” said Pollard. “I came to the net and he’d lob it over me.”
“My shoulder started hurting after a while,” added Pollard, who noted he practiced Sunday for the first time after a delay caused by the weather.
Pollard believes he’s improved throughout the season.
“I feel like I’ve progressed on my forehand. I’m scanning the court, where to hit it or not hit it,” said Pollard.
The No. 1 doubles match went to a tiebreaker in the second set after Mount Pleasant’s Wilson and Colin Hayes won the opening set, 6-3. The tiebreaker was tied at 6-6, but the Vikings had a late surge to take the tiebreaker – and the match – 9-7 against Lucas Hardik and Ben Shaeffer.
Mount Pleasant’s Tyler Kurtz and Jacon McGuinness won the first at No. 2 doubles, 7-5. With time constraints to complete the match looming, the second set was played in a tiebreaker format with the Vikings’ duo edging Southmoreland’s Ben Shaeffer and Derek Huff, 10-7.