Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — It was a classic Shelby Reed tennis match.

Continuous volleys, the ball always in play and, as is usually the case, Reed standing on the winning side of a three-set match.

On Tuesday against Vail Mountain, Reed's 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 victory highlighted a dominating performance for Steamboat.

Reed, Steamboat's No. 2 singles player, frustrated Vail Mountain's Stephanie Miletich throughout the match, and especially in the deciding third set.

After Miletich took the first game of the third set, Reed held serve three times and broke Miletich another three times.

"I knew when she was getting down, all I had to do was continue to break her," said Reed, who lived with Miletich for three months at the Grand Junction Tennis Academy. "My teammates cheering me really helped. That really helped break her mental game."

Along with Reed, No. 3 singles player Molly Weiss, No. 1 doubles team Kylee Swiggart and Sara Bearss, No. 2 doubles team Hayley Richman and Mandy Thielemann, No. 3 doubles team Alexis and Valerie Lezin, and No. 4 doubles team Kaitie Breisch and Claire Parsons picked up wins for the Sailors.

"I was real pleased with all the young girls," Steamboat coach John Aragon said. "They came out and all played composed. That was big for them."

Steamboat's lone loss came at No. 1 singles, where Lisa Floyd fell to Shannon McNamara, 6-3, 6-2.

Floyd, who lost to McNamara last year early in the season, said she's hoping the loss this year will have a similar effect.

"I lost to her once, then beat her the rest of the times," said Floyd, who beat McNamara in the regional finals last year. "It's kind of what I am hoping to do this year."

Although Aragon was happy with the win, he said there are areas in which Steamboat has to improve before the team's next match at 10 a.m. Saturday against Glenwood Springs at the Tennis Center at Steamboat Springs.

"We have to keep a tough schedule going," Aragon said. "All these girls have to come and practice with a purpose and work hard. Athletically, they're solid, but they have to continue to work hard."