The Greenwood Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs tennis teams are rebuilding under second-year Head Coach Dexter Pearcy and took a solid step forward this season – a season that ended earlier this week at the state tournament. The boys’ doubles duo of sophomore J.J. Acosta and junior Brendon Hoskyn qualified to compete on the state level by winning their conference championship two weeks prior.

Acosta and Hoskyn won their first-round match at state, held this past Monday at Hot Springs Country Club, defeating a duo from Searcy, 6-0 and 7-6, then lost in round two (2-6, 4-6) to Hot Springs Lakeside, who hosted the tournament. As underclassmen, both players return next season with a good chance to go much deeper into the post-season. In fact, Coach Pearcy is confident that several of his players gained valuable experience this season that will pay dividends in the future.

“[They] will both return next year as defending conference champions in boys doubles and more experienced state tournament competitors,” said Pearcy of Acosta and Hoskyn. “We will return the entire boys' team except for our one senior (Alex Chanthavong), so we are hopeful for continued growth from our boys.

“On the girls’ side, we had two doubles teams (Harper Berg/Lydiah Belue, Bella King/Chaise Hanna) and a singles player (Rebecca Harris) that came very close to making it to state. Chaise and Rebecca are both good tennis players, so it will hurt losing them (to graduation), but there are a few [junior varsity] girls that were right on the edge of being on the varsity team this year that will have the chance to step up next year and help us compete. [Assistant] Coach [Ken] Hamilton and I are proud of these young men and women for all the hard work they put in this season,” said the coach. The Lady Bulldogs started their season with nearly 30 girls on the roster.

Conference tournament

To qualify for state competition, each conference had its own tournament. The eight teams of the 5A West held their event at Russellville on September 27-28. Greenwood’s doubles team of Acosta and Hoskyn won all four of their matches to earn first place in conference and a nice seeding on the state tournament bracket.

As the #2 seeded duo, they defeated Alma’s team of Kimmons and Raja, the #15 seed, winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0. Acosta and Hoskyn then  won their second-round match against Chafin and Smith of Mountain Home, the #10 seed, by a lopsided score of 6-1, 6-2. In their semi-final round victory, they topped Van Buren’s duo of Hobbs and Kovitch, the #3 seed, by a score of 6-2, 6-4. In the championship round Acosta and Hoskyn won over Arp and Czanstkowski of Mountain Home, the #1 seed, taking two out of three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

In the opening round of girls’ singles play, Greenwood’s Rebecca Harris (#7) defeated #10 Katie McKay of Vilonia, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Harris then lost to Ohla Los of Siloam Springs (#2) in the second round, 0-6, 0-6. Greenwood’s Mackenzie Cannon (#13) also competed but lost to Russellville’s Paige Davis (#4), 4-6, 0-6.

In girls’ doubles competition, Harper Berg and Lydiah Belue teamed up as the #4 seed for Greenwood, doing battle against Farris and Watkins from Alma, the #13 seed, winning easily, 6-1, 6-2. Berg and Belue then lost 1-6, 3-6, to Russellville’s duo of Hale and Aguilar, the #5 seed.

Also in doubles play, the GHS combo of Chaise Hanna and Bella King, seeded #10, won their opening round match over Robinson and Burk of Russellville, the #7 seed, by a score of 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Hanna and King then lost in the second round to Williams and Tran of Siloam Springs, the #2 seeded duo, by identical 4-6 scores.

In boys’ singles play at the conference tournament, Greenwood’s Grayson Vaughn (#9) won over Boone Henley, the #8 seed from Siloam Springs, in three sets, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. Vaughn then bowed out in the second round, losing to Parker Seewald of Van Buren, the #1 seeded player, by identical scores of 1-6, 1-6. Greenwood’s Eason Lin, the #15 seed, fell to Lucas Junkerman of Siloam Springs, the #2 seed, losing 0-6, 0-6.

In boys’ doubles action, besides Acosta and Hoskyn, the Greenwood duo of Alex Chanthavong and Alex Schaefer (#13 seed) succumbed to McMurray and Farris of Alma, the #4 seed, losing 1-6, 0-6, in the first round.

Van Buren

A week prior to the conference tournament, on September 20th, the two GHS squads finished off their regular season schedule at home against Van Buren. The Greenwood ladies split their four matches, 2-2, while the Bulldogs lost three of four to the visiting Pointers.

Rebecca Harris lost her singles contest, 3-6, 0-6, while teammate Mackenzie Cannon won her solo match, 6-6 (7-5), 6-6 (7-2). In doubles play, Harper Berg and Lydiah Belue lost their match, 3-6, 4-6, while the duo of Chaise Hanna and Isabella King won theirs, 6-4, 7-5.

For the GHS boys, Grayson Vaughn lost 0-6, 1-6, in singles action, as did Eason Lin, 0-6, 0-6. J.J. Acosta and Brendon Hoskyn won their doubles match, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, while GHS court partners Alex Chanthavong and Alex Schaefer lost their match, 1-6, 0-6.

Alma

Six days earlier, on September 14th, Greenwood hosted Alma in conference play, with the GHS girls and boys dominating their longtime rivals from Crawford County, winning seven of eight matches. The Lady Bulldogs finished 4-0 while the Bulldogs won three of four.

For the ladies, Greenwood’s Mackenzie Cannon and Abby Webb both won by identical 8-0 scores in singles play. In doubles action, the GHS duo of Berg and Belue won 8-3, while Hanna and King won 8-1.

For the boys, Grayson Vaughn lost his singles match, 2-8, for Greenwood’s only setback. Eason Lin won 8-4, while Acosta and Hoskyn won their doubles match, 8-0, and Chanthavong and Schaefer won their outing, 8-6.

Siloam Springs

Just a day earlier, on September 13th, the Bulldogs played host to the Panthers from Siloam Springs, dropping the overall match, 5-3. The Lady Bulldogs managed a 2-2 split while the GHS boys went 1-3 against the visitors.

Rebecca Harris lost her singles match, 3-8, as did Mackenzie Cannon, falling 5-8. Harper Berg and Lydiah Belue won their doubles match, 8-2, while Chaise Hanna and Isabella King took their match by a score of 8-5.

 In boys’ action, Grayson Vaughn lost 2-8 and Alex Chanthavong fell 0-8. Acosta and Hoskyn won their doubles match easily, 8-1, while Eason Lin and Alex Schaefer lost their contest, 6-8.