The players on the Reeths-Puffer girls tennis team are obviously not the type to give up.
The Rockets battled back from first set losses and won three different matches on Thursday, helping R-P post a 5-3 victory over Fruitport in a non-conference matchup.
The comeback barrage started at No. 3 singles, where Molly Matz really had to pull herself together to beat Fruitport’s Abby Poort.
Molly Matz, who had a big three-win week for R-P. Photo/Jeremy Clark
She lost the first set badly. by a 1-6 score, then battled to a 7-5 victory in the second set and won the tiebreaker10-5.
The victory was part of a very good week for Matz, who won three of four the matches she played since Monday.
Also coming from behind to win were Elisa Howard and Brylee Gifford at No. 3 doubles and Lauren Slater and Grace Cosens at No. 4. doubles.
R-P's Hope Latsch
Howard and Gifford lost their first set 4-6, then rallied to win the second set 6-4 and the tiebreaker 10-5.
Slater and Cosens also won a very tough match, losing the first set 6-t, winning the second 7-6 and taking the tiebreaker 10-5.
Winning easier matches for the Rockets were Kaitlyn Durow at No. 4 singles and Kayleigh Brown and Jayla Brink at No. 2 doubles.
R-P's Jayla Brink
The victory over Fruitport was the happy culmination of a long, tough week for the Rockets.
It all started well enough last weekend when they won the share of the championship at the Fruitport Invitational, but then they lost two tough matches against powerful O-K Green conference opponents Mona Shores and Byron Center, before tying Spring Lake and beating Fruitport.
The Rockets lost 7-2 to Mona Shores. R-P’s winners were Olivia Smith at No.1 singles and Matz at No. 3 singles.
R-P's Kaitlyn Durow
R-P lost 7-0 to Byron Center.
The week improved with a 4-4 tie against Spring Lake, which was a definite improvement from earlier in the season, when the Rockets lost to the Lakers.
Smith and Matz won their singles matches in straight sets against the Lakers, while Slater and Cosens did the same in doubles.
R-P's Kayleigh Brown
R-P's Olivia Smith