Being on the wrong side of a tennis draw is nothing new to Keegan Miller and Rachel McClung.
After finishing as the region runner-up, the Caldwell County duo met the four-seed in Tuesday’s first round of the KHSAA State Tennis Tournament at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex at the University of Kentucky.
Miller and McClung opened strong, taking two of the first three points before dropping a 6-2, 6-0 decision to Elizabeth Bryant and Sharayu Deo of DuPont Manual.
Bryant’s strong forehand kept the Caldwell duo on the move for most of the match and ultimately proved tough to overcome.
McClung, a senior, and Miller, a junior, finished their 2023 season with a 16-5 record but it wasn’t enough to overcome yet another tough draw.
Last year, they drew the region runner-ups from Henderson County in the first round of the region. Two years ago, they opened with the eventual region champions Allie Fort and Ella Lester from Hopkinsville.
While their first-round match didn’t go as hoped, McClung and Miller were pleased to be able to experience the state tournament for the first time.
