MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - McCall Morgan couldn't think of a better way to end her Baylor high school tennis career: teammate Samantha Caswell as her doubles partner, teammates Maggie Crumbliss and Drew Hawkins as their opponents. It seemed almost like a day of practice.
Only this time, it was a state championship match. And somebody had to win.
Morgan and Caswell were the victors -- 6-2, 6-1 -- Friday in the Division II-AA state doubles title match at the Old Fort courts. The win gave Caswell a total of seven titles in her five-year career -- four team, two singles and a doubles -- while Morgan finished her career with five.
Their reaction after they finished the match was one more of acceptance than excitement.
"Wednesday was a lot more emotional in general," Morgan said. "We care more about the team title than the individual. This could be a USTA tournament for us, but it's the last time we'll play together."
The teams played in the East/Middle region championship as well, with a much more light-hearted environment.
GPS's Michelle Fleenor fell in straight sets to St. Benedict's Grace Summers in the singles final.
"She's a really good player," Fleenor said. "She's so consistent and knows how to play the ball. She's really smart and it's difficult to break her down and win a lot of points, because she's a really good player.
"I'm going to look back at my time at GPS as a fun experience. I've made so many friends playing this sport, and I love being able to play a sport I'm not only good at, but I enjoy playing."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6311. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.