Shock impress in season opener
PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA - The St. Louis Shock—made up of Anna Bright, Kate Fahey, Hayden Patriquin, and Gabriel Tardio—downed the Texas Ranchers 3-1 to start their season off on a high note.
Bright and Fahey kicked things off with an impressive 26-24 victory over Etta Wright and Tina Pisnik in Fahey’s first MLP match.
Fahey—a three-time All-American tennis player at the University of Michigan—remained steady on the right side and had a clutch backhand counter winner down the stretch to help the Shock strike first.
Bright revealed after the match that it was Fahey’s intensity on court that led her to take her in the fourth round of April’s MLP draft.
“I saw a video on YouTube of her just screaming and shrieking at people, and then I watched her in person and I thought, ‘That’s what I want on the team,’” she said.
The advantage from that women’s doubles triumph never faded for St. Louis, as Tardio and Patriquin took the men’s doubles match before Bright and Patriquin secured the 3-1 victory in the second mixed doubles game.
The No. 3 overall draft pick Bright brought all the energy–both on and off Championship Court—during the match and was nothing but complimentary of her teammates’ opening performance.
“I think I’m a designated hype chick,” she shared. “I think that bringing that energy elevates the game of everyone on our team, and I’ve got a team of absolute dogs.”
Next up for St. Louis is a tilt against the Los Angeles Mad Drops on Saturday afternoon.
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