THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 1996 TAG: 9610300596
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 39 lines
After 14 girls tennis matches where dominant singles play was more than enough, the Cox Falcons learned Tuesday that quality doubles play under pressure is there if they need it as well.
The Eastern Region champion Falcons, extended into meaningful doubles matches for the first time all season, came up big and knocked off Northern Region runner-up Centreville, 6-3, in the Group AAA state team quarterfinals at Cox.
The Falcons led, 4-2, after the six singles matches Tuesday, the first time they've went into doubles still needing to pick up the requisite fifth point. But Andrea Bussey and Kristin Moran came through at No. 2 doubles, downing Wildcats' No. 7 Melissa Cappiello and Melaina Vaccaro, 6-1, 6-4.
Cappiello played in place of No. 2 Laurie Graf, who retired midway through her singles match because of a shoulder injury.
``We knew their No. 1 team was kind of strong, so we had an idea it might come down to us,'' Bussey said.
The Falcons, winners of 15 in a row, will meet Central champion Clover Hill in the state semifinals Friday at 1 p.m. at Jefferson Park in Falls Church. Clover Hill, which shut out Northwest runner-up Woodbridge Tuesday, eliminated Cox in last year's state quarterfinals.
``We've got to be ready for a match to go into doubles,'' Cox coach Liane Long said. ``This was a good match to prepare for that.''
Cox No. 2 Ashby Moran was ahead, 6-1, 1-0, when Graf withdrew. The Falcons also got singles victories from No. 3 Adrienne Byrne, No. 4 Bussey and No. 6 Shannon Gormley.
The Wildcats, making the first state tournament appearance in the school's eight-year history, answered with wins by No. 5 Melaina Vaccaro and No. 1 Laura James. James, a freshman who's ranked first in the Mid-Atlantic region's 14s division and expects to finish the year among the nation's top 20, decisioned Kristin Moran without losing a game.
Moran was visably upset after the defeat, but regrouped in time to help Bussey put the Falcons over the top. by CNB