And none are sweeter to coach Kristin Fleming Arnold and her girls than the latest one that came Saturday at Columbia’s Cayce Tennis Center when the Bishops completed their second straight unbeaten season by capturing their ninth consecutive state title with a 6-0 victory over Chapman (13-3) in the Class AAA state championship match.
Fleming Arnold couldn’t help but be proud of her team. “I am excited for the girls. They stayed focused on their goal and came out and did a good job,” she said.
As for the records, “We just stay focused on being ready to play.” That was obvious.
The victory earned junior No. 1 Lily Woods a fifth state championship tennis ring. She also was a star guard on the Bishops’ state championship basketball team last season.
“I can’t explain it . . . it’s awesome,” Woods described her feelings about winning another state title.
“This is my sixth ring,” she added, pointing out that she will start basketball practice again on Wednesday. Woods will participate in the state individual tennis tournament on Monday and Tuesday as the No. 1 seed.
Indeed, the Bishops were ready for the test, even though they had beaten the same Chapman team 7-0 in the 2018 state final. This time, the match was closer as the Bishops yielded 23 games to Chapman, but no sets. A year earlier, Chapman had managed to win just 11 games.
“It was a good match. They (Chapman) were the same team, but a stronger team,” Fleming Arnold said.
The Bishops’ 22 victories this season included BE Invitational tournament ... Click here to read full article
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