Despite a sluggish start across the board, the Seymour girls tennis team wouldn’t be handed their first loss of the season against Hoosier Hills Conference foe Columbus East on Thursday.

The Owls held home court, defeating the Olympians 5-0.

At No. 1 singles, Adycin Rager came out strong for the Olympians by taking the first set 6-4.

However, after a change in apparel, Wood kicked into gear to take the next two sets 6-0, 6-0.

“I think if you ask Emma, she would blame it on the shoes,” Owls coach Jennifer Miller said. “She got new shoes this week and tried playing in them. I think it was messing with her head more than anything. Sometimes, players get it in their head that things need to be a certain way.”

In the No. 2 singles spot, Seymour’s Hallie Crenshaw defeated Alaysha Pollert 6-2, 6-1.

The longest match of the day was at No. 3 singles, between the Owls’ Megan Baurle and Olympians’ Lauren Graham.

Baurle won a marathon first set in a tiebreaker at 7-4 before taking the second 6-4.

“Megan came out really hesitant,” Miller said. “She hasn’t, in three matches, come out with the confidence she is capable of. In that second set she really proved to herself that she can dictate the points while playing aggressive.”

Down 4-3 in the first set, the No. 1 doubles team of Lindsey Hume and Addie Rudge stormed back to take the opening 6-4 against Columbus East’s Kendall Gerken and Carolyn Travis.

The second set was equally close, but the Owls held on to a 4-3 lead to prevail 6-4.

Kelli Armes and Katie O’Mara secured the No. 2 doubles win for Seymour, topping the Olympians’ Paige Webb and Esta Morrision 6-2, 6-2.

Miller was pleased with how her team regrouped after a handful of close opening sets.

“We really had to battle through the first sets across the board except at No. 2 doubles,” she said. “To come back and finish in two sets in all but one position was nice to see.”

Columbus East (1-2) could see the Owls (3-0) again later in the season at the Hoosier Hoosier Hills Conference tournament.