MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Chattanooga Christian girls’ tennis team will play for a fourth consecutive Class A/AA championship today after sweeping Ezell-Harding in the state semifinals Tuesday morning at Middle Tennessee State University.

But the Lady Chargers’ 4-0 win wasn’t as easy as it looked on paper.

After an early 6-1, 6-2 victory for No. 2 Holly Scholl and a 6-2, 6-2 win from Stephanie Sizemore at No. 5, CCS had to battle for its spot in the final.

“They really had to fight hard,” Lady Chargers coach Sue Webb said. “They had to fight for every point.”

Freshman Gretchen Rowe trailed in her first set at the No. 4 spot but rallied for a 6-4 win and took the second set 6-3. No. 1 Ashlyn Bolton lost her first set 2-6 but forced a third by winning 6-3. With No. 3 player Claire Henley in the midst of a 7-5, 6-4 battle, Bolton clinched the team victory with a 6-3 third-set win.

“I was really nervous,” Bolton said. “But once I got out there, I just had to start playing my game and keep my head in it. This means a lot to our seniors. We’re going to come out and work really hard tomorrow.”

CCS (15-2) will play Christian Academy of Knoxville for the title this morning at 10.

“It was great to have a tough match today,” Webb said. “They should be ready for a tough match tomorrow. We’ll go for one point at a time, and see how it goes.”

CCS boys eliminated

The Chattanooga Christian and University School of Jackson boys’ tennis teams can’t seem to avoid one another at the Spring Fling.

And for the third year in a row, a loss to USJ ended the Chargers’ season.

CCS fell 4-0 to the Bruins in the Class A/AA state semifinals Tuesday at Middle Tennessee State University. The Chargers lost 4-2 in last year’s final and 4-1 in the 2006 championship match.

“The boys played well today,” CCS assistant coach Tim Scholl said. “(USJ) just played a lot better. There wasn’t anyone for us who didn’t do good. They just outplayed us, and my hat’s off to them.”

USJ swept the No. 2 through No. 5 singles matches, as Ben Gaines defeated Jonny Herberich 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2 and Hunt Magee beat Andy Driggans 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3.

Max Stuermer fell to Jordan Preckit 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4, and the Bruins’ Grant Hurdern won 6-3, 6-0 over Tyler Roden in the fifth spot. CCS No. 1 player Will Reynolds was in a 6-3, 3-0 match when USJ clinched the win.

The Chargers returned just two players from last year’s runner-up team but finished the 2008 season 14-3, with district and region championships.

“The boys really pulled together at the beginning of the year,” Scholl said. “When we started the season, we didn’t even have enough boys to fill the roster. They really pulled together as a team, and it’s amazing what they were able to accomplish.”

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