Decatur, AL—The Marion Military Institute (MMI) women's tennis team reeled off 15 straight wins to finish the regular season at 16-1 and 8-0 in Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) play. The team then did the unthinkable, and to some knowledgeable tennis aficionados in the state of Alabama, the undoable. You can now add other adjectives to those two, other adjectives like unbelievable, possible, achievable, and incredible. The team scored a perfect 18 points to rout the field at the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center in Point Mallard Park, capturing its first ACCC title in women's tennis in the process.
Spearheading MMI's drive to ACCC dominance was Paolo Bou, the Tigers' No. 1 singles player. Overall, Bou scored four of Marion's 18 points by winning the No. 1 singles title over Central Alabama Community College's Ashley Coots, 6-3, 6-0, and the No. 1 doubles title with Morgan Ingram. Bou and Ingram eked out a hard-fought and well-played doubles match over Central Alabama's Coots and Maggie Blackwell by the score of 8-6.
For her splendid and superior play throughout the tournament, Bou was presented with the ACCC MVP Award by Dean Myrick, the ACCC commissioner.
Bou's supporting cast of Alana Larcombe, Morgan Ingram, Bridget Mayfield, Makenzie Ralston, Rebecca Lin, and Jordan Berrios contributed mightily to MMI's winning cause as well.
Larcombe, at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles, chipped in another four points for the Tigers by winning her singles match, 6-2, 2-6, 10-2, and teaming with Mayfield to down Snead State Community College's Morgan Thompson and Olivia Sharpton, 8-2.
Ingram defeated Central Alabama's Callie Beall, 6-2, 6-3, to take the singles title at line 3. At flight 4 singles, Mayfield downed Central Alabama's Kacy Howard, 6-1, 6-0. No. 5 singles saw Makenzie Ralston seize the title at that flight with her sparkling 6-1, 6-1 win over Central Alabama's Abby Hayes. Rebecca Lin recorded MMI's last singles point with her 6-1, 6-1 win over Brandi Daniels of Snead State.
Ralston and Berrios produced MMI's ninth tournament title and final point of the two-day tourney with their 8-0 win over Central Alabama's Abby Hayes and Emily Cheshier.
"Bou, Larcombe, Ingram, Mayfield, Ralston, Lin, and Berrios are all integral and important pieces of the greatest collection of talent that a women's tennis team at MMI has ever fielded and probably will ever field," said coach Charles Wright. "This was a special, special group of players, with extraordinary talent. I don't think a lot of people have grasped how good and how special this team is. Years from now MMI folks will look back to this time and this team and marvel. This was a dream team."
Women's Singles
1- Paola Bou MMI def Ashley Coots CACC 6-3,6-0
2- Alana Larcombe MMI def Maggie Blackwell CACC 6-2, 2-6, 10-2
3- Morgan Ingram MMI def Callie Beall CACC 6-2,6-3
4- Bridget Mayfield MMI def Kacy Howard CACC 6-1, 6-0
5- Makenzie Ralston MMI def Abby Hayes CACC 6-1, 6-1
6- Rebecca Lin MMI def Brandi Daniels Snead 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
1- Paola Bou/Morgan Ingram MMI def Maggie Blackwell/Ashley Coots CACC 8-6
2- Alana Larcombe/ Bridget Mayfield MMI def Morgan Thompson/Olivia Sharpton Snead 8-2
3- Makenzie Ralston/Jordan Berrios MMI def Abby Hayes/Emily Cheshire CACC 8-0
Team scores
MMI 18
CACC 7
Snead 2
Faulkner State 0
Wallace State 0
ACCC Region Player of the Year
Paola Bou - Marion Military Institute
ACCC Coach of the Year
Chuck Wright - Marion Military Institute