黑料社入口

They might not have had anything to do with the Conway High School girls鈥� tennis team starting its season with a win Monday afternoon, but the newly-refurbished tennis courts certainly made a hit with the players, their coach, parents and grandparents.

鈥淚 do think it鈥檚 easier to cheer on our teammates鈥e鈥檙e thankful we weren鈥檛 having to play on those cracked courts anymore,鈥� said Eliza Sansbury, who is determined by her Coach Patrick Howle to be one of the team鈥檚 leaders.

As for Monday鈥檚 match against South Florence, she said, 鈥淭here was a lot of great tennis, I don't think we expected them to be that good.鈥�

As for the upgraded courts, she said, 鈥淭hey鈥檙e awesome. I鈥檓 kind of sad they鈥檙e only here for my last year.鈥�

The Horry County School District spent a total of $1.6 million for Conway, Carolina Forest and Green Sea Floyds to play tennis on topnotch courts at their school sites. Conway鈥檚 part of that was $523,000.

Sansbury, a CHS senior, said it was nice being back at her school to play the match and believes the team played better because the community was able to come out and watch them.

鈥淚 love my team and I think it鈥檚 such a great group of girls. I鈥檓 really honored that they have let me do that (be a team leader). I think they鈥檙e all just great girls鈥 love to cheer them on. I like to have a good optimist attitude,鈥� she said.

Eliza鈥檚 mom, Stacy Sansbury, said Eliza, one of the Sansbury triplets, chose tennis over cheerleading because she wanted to do something different than her sister, Emma, who is a cheerleader.

She said Eliza is excited to get to play her senior year on the Conway High School courts.

As one of three seniors on the team, her daughter is in her sixth, and final season on the CHS tennis team.

鈥淪o, she鈥檚 been playing as long as she could on this team. She loves the camaraderie and she loves mentoring the girls,鈥� she said.

Mrs. Sansbury says her daughter is improving and the proof is that, as a longtime league tennis player herself, she was recently defeated for the first time by Eliza.

Eliza didn鈥檛 act like that was such a great feat saying, 鈥淚 guess I have just gotten better and she鈥檚 gotten a little worse.鈥�

Then laughed as she said she just ran her mother and wore her out.

Howle, the coach, said he鈥檚 got a great group of girls, who are still really young. The team added three junior high girls this year and they鈥檙e already working their way into the lineup.

As for playing at Conway High, he said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be out here. Collins Park was always fun, but it鈥檚 great to be out here.鈥�

The stands, that hold about 50 people, and lots of lawn chairs at Monday鈥檚 match held parents and grandparents.

Howle hopes that more students will come to watch his team.

The updated facility has five courts and a practice wall.

They have new fencing and LED lighting and the upgrade added bleachers and concrete.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the same layout, they just took them down to the ground and redid them,鈥� Howle said.

The girls recently finished a preseason tournament with a record of 2-2, but Howle is okay with that because Conway鈥檚 number one player was injured in her first match.

The girls will play eighteen matches this season, ten of them on the CHS courts and will complete their tough season in mid-October.

The girls finished tops in their region two years ago, and did well in the championship that year just short of a win.

But, Howle says this year鈥檚 competition, especially what he鈥檚 expecting from Carolina Forest and Socastee, will be especially tough. Socastee is the reigning state champion in Region 5.

鈥淥ur region is so good鈥e could finish first. We could finish third. It鈥檚 going to be a tough season,鈥� Howle said.

He is a happy coach whatever happens.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like being the father of eleven kids. I feel like all of them are mine, especially when you have tight matches. I love it. I wouldn鈥檛 trade it for the world.鈥�

His daughter Ellie Howle, a tenth grader, is a member of the team. He expects a second younger daughter to be on the team next year so, he said, 鈥淚鈥檒l be around for a while.鈥�

Ellie, who was playing doubles Monday, says she likes her position because she gets to work with her teammates, which relieves some of the pressure.

She鈥檚 been on the team since seventh grade and likes supporting her teammates.

As for playing at CHS Monday, she said, 鈥淚 like being here. It feels more at home.鈥�

Granddad Lindsey Hilbourn, a former Conway High School football standout, was at Monday鈥檚 match to cheer on his granddaughter Avery Combs, who recently turned 13 and is a second seed, according to her grandfather.

He thinks things have changed a little at CHS from the days when he played and football was king. Now the girls and their tennis are coming on strong.

鈥淚 got Tiger blood in me. I can鈥檛 help it. Conway鈥檚 been good to me. Sports have been good to me,鈥� he said.

He said he鈥檚 proud to be part of Tiger history and now seeing his granddaughter playing for Conway keeps that pride going.

As for the team, he said, 鈥淲in or lose, they鈥檙e always winners to me.鈥�

As for his granddaughter, he said, 鈥淪he may be number two on the team, but she鈥檚 number one in my book.鈥�

He says the team has a good coach plus a lot of talent, excitement and enthusiasm, and he expects them to do well in their conference.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud as a peacock. Why wouldn鈥檛 I be?鈥� he asked.

Eliza Sansbury says she鈥檚 always wanted to continue her education at Clemson University, but as the time draws near a little fear is setting in, and she might decide to go to Coastal Carolina University. What she does know is that she wants to be a nurse practitioner.

As for her future with tennis, she says she doesn鈥檛 plan to play on a college team, but she definitely wants to keep playing the game.

鈥淚 love the sport鈥he people are what make it so much fun,鈥� she said.