Lady Tigers Win 7th Straight Title

BENTONVILLE — The Bentonville Lady Tigers had no room for error in the singles and doubles finals at the 7A-West Conference tennis tournament Wednesday at the Walton Life and Fitness Center.

It turned out to be an error-free effort by the Lady Tigers.

Bentonville’s Amy Anderson and Kendall Kraus were never threatened in the doubles finals and Oksana Hillyer defended her singles championship to lead the Lady Tigers to the league title.

Anderson-Kraus defeated Southside’s Lindsey Skinner and Cassidy Kincannon 6-2, 6-3 while Hillyer defeated Southside’s Ali Grahl 6-2, 6-4.

The Tigers already had the conference championship wrapped up heading into the finals but the Tigers made it official when Zach Ellis and Matt Tabler defeated teammates Brandon Ellis and Varun Shah 6-7, 6-3, 10-7 in the boys’ doubles finals.

Fayetteville’s Rob Hodous won the boys’ singles title with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over the Rebels’ Bill Blake.

The Lady Tigers have now won the last seven league titles but Bentonville coach Paul Pautsch couldn’t celebrate until Hillyer recorded her fourth service break to finish off Grahl in the second set of a match that was closer than the final indicates.

“(Anderson-Kraus) are the best doubles team in the state and I will stand behind that,” Pautsch said. “Their win today solidifies that. That was a tough match (for Hillyer).”

AZ TEN 7A Champs 01Zach Ellis and Tabler are now 12-0 in doubles matches this season and Pautsch said the two sophomores should do well at next week’s state tournament in Fayetteville.

“You have to give credit to Zach and Matt, they played it right,” Pautsch said. “They had the opportunity and they took it. They played well all year.”

Rogers’ Trent Lamers and Adam Hile will be the third seed in boys doubles at the state tournament after the pair defeated Patrick Shields and Reed Churchill 4-6, 6-2, 13-11 in the third-place match. Shields-Churchill were seeded No. 1.

“I thought that was the best tennis that they played this year,” said Rogers coach Steve Peck. “That was huge the way they came back.”

7A-West Conference Tennis Tournament

Girls Singles
Finals
Hillyer, Bentonville defeated Grahl, Forth Smith Southside 6-2, 6-4

Girls Doubles
Finals
Anderson-Kraus, Bentonville defeated Skinner-Kincannon 6-2, 6-3

Boys Singles
Finals
Hodous, Fayetteville defeated Blake, Fort Smith Southside 6-3, 6-1

Boys Doubles
Finals
Z. Ellis-Tabler, Bentonville defeated B. Ellis-Shah, Bentonville 6-7, 6-3, 10-7

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