Norwalk tops P.C. in prime time

NORWALK — The vision became a reality. From the moment the installation of lights was set to be a part of the five new tennis courts at the Norwalk Middle School, the end result of Monday's match vs. Port Clinton was the goal. After two years of fundraising, and forced to play the first half of the 2022 season on the road, the Norwalk girls tennis team was able to play several matches on the new courts. But the long-term goal was always the image of a prime-time match with elite opponents. That became a reality Monday night when the first and second singles matches between the Truckers and Redskins lasted more than two hours. When No. 2 singles senior Sidney Sage outlasted Gracie Arnold in a three-set tiebreaker, the lights had become a necessity instead of a novelty. Sage topped Arnold, a Division II state qualifier last season, 1-6, 7-5, then outlasted her in a 14-12 tie-breaker set. "We did it last year in a practice, but it looked very pretty," Sage said of the lights. "There isn't a difference on the court, but it's clearer and it's not as bright as the sun. "It just shows everything … it's nice." Norwalk won the match, 4-1, over the Redskins. Both teams are heavy favorites to win the Lake and Bay divisions in the Sandusky Bay Conference this season. Norwalk's lone loss came at first singles, where Reagan Ruthsatz held off Megan Miller in both their sets, 6-4, 6-4. Ruthsatz and Arnold teamed up to reach state in doubles last October. "The experience was very exciting," Miller said. "I'm just happy to be out here playing, just knowing that I'm a senior now and my matches are limited. I still put a little pressure on myself trying to win, but I want to go out there and have fun." Miller said she didn't notice a difference in the visuals while playing, but when the players changed sides, it was noticeable. "It's different looking," she said. It doesn't affect how I play, but it was different — in a good way." Sage defeated Arnold a year ago, 6-0, 6-3. But she knew she was in for a much tougher match this time around. However, the senior didn't expect to lose the first set by a 6-1 margin. "It was definitely a rough first set, but I realized what I was able to do and found her weaknesses and came away with the win," Sage said. At third singles, junior Ana Osborn cruised to a sweep over Olivia Spencer (6-0, 6-0). It was a similar score at first doubles, where juniors Kenzie Smith and Lauren Brown swept Stazzi Hughes and Jayda Mullens. At second doubles, seniors Abby Mozina and Kendall Hammersmith defeated Carniah Baker and Megan Zgodzinski (6-0, 6-2). Second-year Norwalk head coach Harry Love anticipated the lights would make a difference to the viewing and playing experience at first and second singles. "I think it changes the atmosphere a little bit," he said. "The girls are used to the sun beating down on them at 4 p.m. It's like how we play early on a Saturday, it feels different, and because it's different, it feels special. "I knew their coach (Joe Miller) would be interested in this. It's early in the season without school as far as logistics. We got these awesome lights, and it's unbelievable how bright it is out there, so why not use them?" Joe Miller said it was a fun night with the two singles matches going long. "We have a lot of work to do at the other positions, but we played one senior, while Norwalk started upperclassmen at every position," he said. "All the credit goes to the Truckers this evening. "They're the best team in our area, and I have great respect for their players, coaches, and program." Norwalk has a busy week ahead with Toledo Notre Dame, Edison and St. Mary Central Catholic at home in each of the next three days. Thursday's match against SMCC is also a 7 p.m. start. "I felt pretty good about three of the spots and knew those top two could go either way tonight," Love said. "The better player who showed up tonight was going to be the one who was going to win, and that's what good tennis is. I was really happy with how we played across all the spots."