New Richmond is enjoying the best beginning of any of Clermont County’s varsity girls tennis teams despite a 4-1 setback to Western Brown in Mount Orab.

The second doubles duo of Sarah Haun and Tiffany Sturgill scored the Lions’ point by winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

“They’re playing very, very well. I’m happy with our start with us being so young,” said Tina Grippa, the coach of the Lions. Her charges consist of two seniors, two juniors (one a first-year player), and three sophomores.

The Red and Black is 5-1, 4-1 in the Southern Buckeye Conference (SBC).

Senior first singles Lana Burns is 3-3 for the season, sophomore second singles Kaitlyn Reid is 4-2, sophomore third singles Katie Bird is 5-1, and the first doubles of senior Jamie Clements and junior Tasha Liegel is 5-1. Three girls have been sharing the action in second doubles – Haun and Sarah Clancy, who are sophomores, and Sturgill who is a junior. The trio is 5-1.

Grippa pointed out that Western Brown and defending SBC American Division champion Clermont Northeastern will be the toughest foes she expects to face in league competition.

Grippa attributes her team’s impressive start to the girls “practicing hard and believing in themselves.”

“We hope to build on our youth and if they work during the off-season we could be winning some championships in the coming years,” she said.

The immediate collective thought on the mind of the team? Said Grippa, “We want to win at our place when we play Western Brown again. We want to give them a more competitive game.”

New Richmond 3 Clermont Northeastern 2

Lion winners: Bird (third singles) 6-1, 6-4; Clements and Liegel (first doubles) 6-0, 6-2; and Haun and Sturgill (second doubles) 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6 (7-4).

Rocket winners: Jamee Boyd (first singles) 6-0, 6-1 and Cody Patchell (second singles) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

New Richmond 5 Bethel-Tate 0

Burns (first singles) 7-6, 6-2; Reid (second singles) 6-2, 6-0; Bird (third singles) 7-5, 6-7, 7-2; Clements and Liegel (first doubles) 7-6, 3-6, 6-2; and Haun and Sturgill (second doubles) 6-2, 6-3.

New Richmond 4 Goshen 1

Lion winners: Reid (second singles) 6-1, 6-0; Bird (third singles) 7-5, 6-1; Clements and Liegel (first doubles) 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, and Haun and Sturgill (second doubles) 6-0, 6-1.

Warrior winner: Sierra Billow (first singles) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

New Richmond 4 Amelia 1

Lion winners: Burns (first singles) 6-2, 6-2; Reid (second singles) 6-1, 6-2; Bird (third singles) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1; and Clements and Liegel (first doubles) 6-1, 6-0.

Baron winner: Lauren Owens and Alexis Trubee (second doubles) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.

Clermont Northeastern 3 Goshen 2

Rocket winners: Boyd (first singles) 3-6, 6-4, 6-6 (8-6); Patchell (second singles) 6-0, 5-7, 7-5; and Chelsea Altom and Ashley Greene (second doubles) 6-0, 6-0.

Warrior winners: Westendorf (third singles) 6-1, 6-2 and Tasha Blevins and Celia Lally (first doubles) 6-2, 6-4.

Bethel-Tate 3 Amelia 2

Tiger winners: Erin Ballein (first singles) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2; Laura Eaton (third singles) 6-4, 6-4; and Cindy Galea and Kristin Longworth (first doubles) 6-4, 7-5. Baron winners: Kady Pierce (second singles) 6-4, 7-6 and Jill Fronk and Ashly Truong (second doubles) 6-1, 6-1.

Bethel-Tate 3 Goshen 2

Tiger winners: Ballein (first singles) 7-5, 6-3; Galea and Longworth (first doubles) 6-4, 6-3 and Mandy Hiler and Jessica Jones (second doubles) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Warrior winners: Wininger (second singles) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 and Westdorf (third singles) 6-4, 6-4.

Bethel-Tate 5 Reading 0

Tiger winners: Ballein 6-0, 6-2; Shouse 6-4, 6-2; Eaton 6-0, 6-4; Galea and Longworth 6-0, 6-0; and Hiler and Jones 6-0, 6-1.

Western Brown 4 Bethel-Tate 1

Tiger winner: Ballein (first singles) 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

Milford 3 Walnut Hills 2

Eagle winners: Tracy Li (first singles) 6-1, 6-2; Erin O’Bernier and Laura Roessner (first doubles) 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 12-10; and Samantha Ciambro and Laura Marsh (second doubles) 6-3, 2-6, 10-7.

Milford 3 Harrison 2

Eagle winners: Li (first singles) 6-2, 6-0; Tracey Mechlin (second singles) 6-0, 6-1; and Andrea Fish (third singles) 6-2, 6-2.

Anderson 5 Milford 0

Miamisburg 5 Milford 0

This contest took place as part of the State Team Tournament.

Wyoming 4 Milford 1

Eagle winner: Li (first singles) 6-4, 6-3.

Mariemont 4 Milford 1

Eagle winner: Ciambro and O’Bernier (second doubles) 6-1, 6-4.

Colerain 3 Milford 2

Eagle winners: Li (first singles) 6-4, 6-4 and Fish (third singles) 6-2, 6-4.

Western Brown 4 Glen Este 1

Trojan winner: Jessica Cutshall (third singles) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Glen Este 4 Amelia 1

Trojan winners: Barb Petty (second singles) 6-0, 6-0; Cutshall (third singles) 7-5, 6-1; Megan Hines and Jessica Hudson (first doubles) 7-5, 6-1; and Rachel Shepler and Courtney Toler (second doubles) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Baron winner: Ana Hegele (first singles) 6-4, 7-5.

Finneytown 4 Glen Este 1

Trojan winner: Petty (second singles) 6-0, 6-0.

Batavia 5 Felicity 0

Bulldog winners: Nikki Staton 6-0, 6-0; Beth Turner 6-3, 6-3; Katherine Case by forfeit; Kim Berry and Shannon Jewell 6-2, 6-0; and Ashley Hayslip and Randallyn Smith 6-0, 6-0.

East Clinton 4 Batavia 1

Bulldog winner: Staton (first singles) 6-1, 6-1.

Mariemont 5 Batavia 0

Western Brown 4 Goshen 1

Warrior winner: Billow (first singles) 6-1, 6-1.

Kings 5 Amelia 0