Gallia Academy’s Miguel Velasco returns a serve during the Blue Devils’ non-league tennis match against Unioto.
Paul Boggs/OVP Sports
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Must have been sweeps week for the Gallia Academy High School tennis team.
That’s because the visiting Blue Devils, on Friday, defeated the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans with a 5-0 shutout.
It was the Blue Devils’ second sweep of an opponent this season —and actually their second in three days.
On Wednesday, Gallia Academy pitched a 5-0 blanking of Unioto, as six of its matches including four of its wins are by close 3-2 scores.
Gallia Academy also owns a pair of 4-1 wins — at Unioto on March 28 and at Athens a week ago.
On Friday, the Blue Devils switched up their regular lineup, but still came out with straight-set sweeps in all five matches.
With the non-league win, Gallia Academy improved to 8-2 — and won its fourth consecutive contest.
It is the Blue and White’s second four-match win streak of the season.
The Blue Devils’ regular three singles players — Miguel Velasco, Pierce Wilcoxon and Miles Cornwell — all played in different slots at Notre Dame, including Velasco at first doubles with MiKayla Edelmann.
Velasco is the usual first singles player, but he and Edelmann amassed a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Notre Dame’s Braden Bennington and Spencer Wilcox.
At second doubles, Katie Carpenter and Kirsten Hesson had a 6-4, 6-1 win over the Titans’ Jimmy Prior and John Haun.
Wilcoxon, playing first singles this time instead of second singles, and Cornwell —at second singles instead of third singles — blanked their opponents 6-0, 6-0.
Wilcoxon won over Toby Butler, while Cornwell won over Jacob Blau.
At third singles, Gallia Academy’s Olivia Meadows won her second singles match by defeating Connor Madden by identical 6-2, 6-2 counts.
The Blue Devils return to the road, and return to non-league action, today (Tuesday, April 25) at Marietta.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106
