The girls on the Sussex Academy tennis team welcomed their rival Indian River to their courts for a Henlopen South showdown April 21. Despite some intense battles, the Seahawks were saddled with a 4-1 loss.

Senior Karina Lopez flexed her position as the best first-singles player in the division, and among the top three in the conference, with 6-0 set wins over Grace Deale to earn Sussex Academy’s lone point.

Second-singles freshman Macy Wheatley fought back from a 6-1 first-set loss to Mia MacIsaac to win the second set 6-2. MacIsaac bounced back herself for another 6-1 win to earn the point for IR.

There was no shortage of good rallies in the third-singles match, but IR’s Ali Swartz pulled away from sophomore Natalia Gatti to claim 6-2 and 6-1 set wins and pick up the point for the visitors.

Most of the drama played out in the first-doubles match, as senior Emma Feagans and sophomore Gia Berberian went toe-to-toe with Kaelyn Rogers and Kendyl Wright. IR’s duo won the first set 6-3, but Feagans and Berberian picked themselves up for a 6-4 second-set win. Rogers and Wright clinched the point with a 6-2 third-set win.

IR’s second-doubles team of Lucille Feathers and Gabriella Wohlrab picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win in the other tag-team match.

Sussex Academy (3-4) will tour Kent County for the next two matches beginning with Polytech Friday, April 24, and ending with Milford Tuesday, April 28. A pair of wins would boost the Seahawks above the .500 mark.