ASHLAND — Russell’s boys and Rose Hill Christian’s girls served up their first Section 4 team tennis championships Saturday under sunny skies at the Ashland Tennis Center.

Both 16th Region champs defeated Corbin in the final round to earn spots in their respective Final Fours in Lexington.

Russell players celebrated by dumping a cooler of ice water on coach Tracy Edwards, who only embraced the chill.

“I’m just thrilled to death,” said Edwards, who is in his 23rd year guiding the Red Devils’ program.

Edwards was instrumental in pushing for the team tennis concept adopted by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association and implemented last year. Also a longtime Russell football assistant, Edwards likes the school spirit and camaraderie that accompanies the head-to-head team competition.

“This has been exciting,” Edwards said as the post-match hugs and hand slaps continued. “It’s a lot better than the singles and doubles tournament. I think you are going to see it grow in popularity. Students will get to where they invite their friends.”

The Red Devils threw a shutout Saturday, blanking Oneida Baptist and then Corbin by 3-0 scores.

Earlier, Rose Hill Christian’s girls defeated Corbin 3-1 after blitzing Knott County Central in the semifinals.

“It feels great,” said Rose Hill sophomore Rachael Bush, who teamed with eighth-grader Madison Lett for a 6-1, 7-5 doubles victory over Corbin’s Emma Carloftis and Elizabeth Jackson. “We have worked hard our whole lives. It’s finally paid off. Our team this year has been the closest ever.”

Each team match consists of three singles levels and two doubles levels. An individual cannot compete in both, meaning each team must sent out seven different players. The match ends after one team has won three courts.

Conversely, at the season’s regional level — which qualifies singles and doubles players for the traditional State Tournament — each school is limited to two singles players and two doubles teams.

Depth is the calling card for Russell’s boys and they flexed it Saturday.

“We are not used to playing people that have depth like we do,” Edwards said. “Corbin did. We were just a little better at every spot.”

Sometimes more than that.

Russell eighth-graders Alex Nguyen and Matthew Eastham rolled to singles wins over William and Harrison Reedy by scores of 6-0, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-1, respectively. The Red Devils picked up their other point in doubles with brothers Taylor and Chan Nguyen beating Chandler and Connor Maguet 6-4, 6-0.

Russell also led in the other two matches, which were tighter.  

Alex Nguyen, playing in the No. 3 singles slot, was first off the court for the Red Devils.

“I just tried to keep aggressive and get control of the point,” he said. “He (Harrison Reedy) was kind of defensive when hitting the ball. His shoulder may have been bothering him some. He kept rubbing it.”

Alex called reaching the state’s Final Four a dream come true.

“We had a good chance last year, but didn’t make the cut,” he said. “To be able to help the team get there, it feels real good.”

Against Oneida Baptist, the 14th Region champion, Russell seniors Taylor Nguyen and Evan White won all but one game combined in the top two singles rungs. Eastham and Alex Nguyen won 6-0, 6-0 in doubles to account for the third point.

Nearby, seniors Paul Spradlin and Miles Mussetter were a game away from closing out a 6-0, 6-0 victory when play stopped.

“We wanted to do something big in our senior year,” White said. “Today was really special. This team is so deep and we want to play in the finals at state.”

Corbin reached the sectional finals with a 3-0 win over Lawrence County. Anthony Wart got past the Bulldogs’ Cole McCreary 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles, while Corbin controlled the two doubles matches 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-0.           

On the girls’ side, Rose Hill Christian shined in its first sectional appearance.

The Lady Royals prevailed over a tough Corbin team to come away with the title.

Junior Leslie Stringer gave Rose Hill an early lead with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Ellie Jane Carloftis despite playing with a blister on each foot from Thursday’s 16th Region Tournament.

“You kind of have to ignore it,” Stringer said. “I was able to put away her serve pretty quickly and that was a big help.”

Rose Hill coach Kimberly Bush opted to split up regional doubles champions Stringer and Alex Billups and have them play singles against Corbin.

“I think it worked really well,” Stringer said. “I still like playing doubles, but singles is OK.”

Corbin picked up a point at No. 2 doubles, but Rose Hillclosed it out with Kennedy Womack’s 6-1, 6-2 victory over Sydney Ledington at No. 1 singles. “It felt really good to win the deciding match,” said Womack, one of the state’s top players. “I helped my team pull through.”

Womack had not dropped a game in singles all season but Ledington, a sophomore, gave her a test.

“She’s a good player,” Womack said. “I knew she would be a tough road. I’m a little disappointed because I had no lost a game. I just wish I had been more aggressive.”

Womack admits to being a perfectionist, but Rose Hill’s team had her smiling.

“I’m proud of the team,” she said. “We’re really happy going to state. It means we are in the top four.”

Corbin coach Donnie Head was proud of Ledington’s effort in an uphill battle.

“Womack hits the ball really good,” he said. “She’s solid and consistent. Sydney has played some other strong players well this season. She stays in there and battles.”

Earlier, Rose Hill beat Knott County Central 3-0. Womack and both Rose Hill doubles teams did not drop a game.

Corbin posted a 3-0 semifinal win over Lawrence County by sweeping both doubles matches and getting a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles from Catherine Crawford over Rachel Hardin.

The boys’ Final Four will be Thursday and Saturday at the University of Kentucky, while the girls will play Friday and Saturday. Blind draws will be conducted Monday.