ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 31, 1996 TAG: 9605310031
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
INDIANS WIN SIXTH straight girls' Group A tennis championship with 6-3 defeat of Radford.
A long-standing Group A girls' tennis reign continued Thursday just as a new one was beginning.
As J.J. Kelly was polishing off Radford 6-3 for its sixth team state championship in a row, Ashleigh Sarver of Bland was routing Kristen Hull of Buffalo Gap 6-3, 6-0.
Based on the decisiveness of the score and other factors, it may be surmised that Sarver will have an opportunity to again contend for an individual state high school championship.
Sarver is a freshman.
``I'm pleased and amazed,'' she said.
Sarver knew nothing about her opponent in the championship match at Radford University's Dedmon Center courts other than what her Bland High doubles partner had told her.
``I didn't get a chance to see [Hull] play yesterday,'' Sarver said. ``Ashley Havens, my doubles partner, told me she had a good serve, though.''
Not good enough. Sarver dismantled Hull in short order.
``My serve worked well today,'' Sarver said. ``All I wanted to do was try to keep her moving and aim for the corners as much as I could.''
Radford had high hopes of a big day on courts that were as good as home. It didn't work out that way thanks to the methodical work of the Indians.
By the end of singles competition, Kelly had already won the five matches it needed to clinch the title. The doubles, which Radford won two of three, were a formality.
``We weren't the underdogs, I didn't think,'' said Betty Branch, Radford's coach. ``If we had played the way we did at the Region C tournament in Lexington against Grayson County, a very good team, I think, then we would have still been playing singles.''
The only singles match the Bobcats won was Caroline Gaskins' 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory over Samantha Hall at No.6.
``Our girls gave it their best, but their best today wasn't the best they had in them,'' Branch said.
Everybody wanted more details about Sarver, the young girl from one of the smallest and most remote high schools in the state. Her father, Mark Sarver, who is also her year-round coach, offered that she was most recently ranked second in the state and seventh in the Mid-Atlantic United States Tennis Association age 14-and-under.
The elder Sarver, a West Virginia school teacher, is also a tennis teaching pro who runs his own indoor facility in Bluefield.
``There are about 10 kids who are serious players playing for rankings who work out there,'' he said. ``Ashleigh plays them and plays some tournaments. She doesn't lack for good competition.
``I think you'll be seeing more good players coming out of Bland in coming years.''
For the next three, one of them will be the defending 1996 state champion.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB