PUNTA GORDA — It seems like every time Charlotte and Port Charlotte hit the sand, the Tarpons are able to do just a little bit more of what it takes to win.
Once again, that was the case at Carmalita Park on Thursday as Charlotte pulled a “lather, rinse, repeat” by defeating the Pirates by a 3-2 count for the third time this season, this time coming for the District 1A-21 championship.
Charlotte (11-3) will have to wait until Friday to see who their first-round regional opponent will be Monday, while Port Charlotte (11-7) will see if there is another game.
Charlotte has beaten the Pirates in all eight matches they have played since the sport became sanctioned. However, five of the last six have been by 3-2 margins, with the Tarpons able to come up with the right combinations to win.
Ja’Nhea Beisner, Charlotte co-head coach, said this matchup was especially difficult.
“Port Charlotte has a lot of heart. We could see they were locked in and serious. We told our girls it wasn’t going to be easy and that Port Charlotte wanted to win,” Beisner said. “We had a target on our backs.”
But Charlotte put itself in a good position by winning the first two matches, albeit by narrow margins.
Hanna Hall and Juliet Hurley beat Keira Hundley and Elyse Motuzas 21-16, 21-18 in the No. 2 match, while Sammy Vega and Ava Hall beat Olivia Oliver and Harlee Tudor 21-15, 21-17 in No. 4.
The clincher was a bit of a surprise, as Abbie Willis and Julia Damico, the No. 1 team, beat Nygeria Hart and Hailey Lorenz 21-19, 21-8.
After Hart and Lorenz beat them in their last meeting, it was satisfying for Willis to not only avenge that loss, but do it so convincingly in the second set.
“I love playing against them. When our energy comes up, our game improves and we’re able to keep a steady pace,” Willis said. “Me and Julia have a great relationship. We love playing together and when you love playing together, you’re always going to play your best.”
Again, the Pirates showed heart and were able to come from behind to win a pair of three setters, pleasing coach Marisa Beisner.
Lenaea Dennard and Hannah Clarke, the No. 3 team, won their match against Kylee and Keira Vasquez 21-17, 11-21, 16-14, where they trailed 10-5 in the third set before rallying to win.
In the No. 5 match, Angelina Oliveira and Cora McGinnis came from a set down to beat Jaylin Hickox and Samantha Colburn 13-21, 21-16, 15-9.
“I’m very proud of those teams. They have fight in them and two of the pairs that will push for every point,” Marisa Beisner said.
It was still frustrating for Beisner, who saw her team again come so close, but not be able to win enough of the long rallies or find that third team that could have made the difference.
“It seems like we can’t find the consistency with some of our pairings. Sometimes they win, sometimes we don’t,” she said. “Charlotte started serving aggressively against us and we weren’t able to put anything away and they had the offense on their side.”
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