South sweeps tennis titles

 South Brunswick High School tennis players won championships in the 3A Waccamaw Conference tournament Oct. 9 at Ocean Isle Beach Park Tennis Center.

Michael Paul

South Brunswick’s Brooke Munroe whips through a shot in the championship doubles tourney.

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Michael Paul

South Brunswick’s Julia Baldiga focuses on the ball during the doubles final.

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Michael Paul

South Brunswick’s Kacey Martin hits a shot in the title match.

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Michael Paul

South Brunswick’s Lilly Michelakis returns a shot in the doubles final.

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South Brunswick’s Morgan Gilbert volleys at the net in the championship doubles tourney.

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South Brunswick’s Rachel Smith hits a shot in the title match

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Michael Paul

Penny Watts hits a shot in the tournament.

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In doubles, South juniors Morgan Gilbert and Brooke Munroe beat senior teammates Lilly Michelakis and Julia Baldiga in straight sets, winning the final set 6-4.

Munroe, a junior, was part of a doubles championship team last year, too.

Gilbert and Munroe beat West junior Rachel Norton and freshman Anna James in straight sets in the first round. Michelakis and Baldiga beat West senior Victoria Jordan and sophomore Sarah Harman in straight sets in the first round.

In the singles championship, junior Kacey Martin beat junior teammate Rachel Smith in three sets, winning the final set 6-2.

Martin beat West junior Penny Watts in the first round. Watts won the first set 7-5. Martin led the second set 4-1 when Watts retired.

Smith won her opening-round match in straight sets against West junior Hayley Grimes.

This is the last year for the Waccamaw Conference. South joins West, Topsail and four Wilmington high schools in a new conference next season.