Senior Lillie Davis goes up for an overhead smash as doubles partner Katie Shaw looks on during the girls’ doubles championship match at the District 25-4A tournament Wednesday. The Lady Badgers duo lost the match but earned a trip to regionals in San Antonio. PHOTOS BY RICHARD AKRIDGE The Lampasas varsity tennis team has some things in common with Rocky Balboa.

Both were considered underdogs, but both rose to the challenge on the biggest stage.

Unfortunately, like Rocky, the Badgers and Lady Badgers finished second.

Lake Travis played the role of Apollo Creed at the District 25-4A tournament in Marble Falls and posted 70 points to retain its championship, while Lampasas was declared the runner-up with 32 points.

Coincidentally, the Badgers and Lady Badgers drew inspiration from the same source that motivated so many Italian Stallion fans.

“[We] started out with a little “Eye of the Tiger” in the van and from then on, everyone was playing some of their best tennis of the season,” Lampasas head coach Kenneth Peiser said.

Chris Monroe delivers a leaping forehand shot. The team’s most impressive performance of the two-day tournament came from the doubles duo of Lillie Davis and Katie Shaw.

After being seeded fourth to begin the tournament, the tandem won the first match and then went on to shock Lake Travis’ top girls’ doubles team -- a team they lost to earlier in the season -- in the semifinals.

“It was an awesome experience for our two girls,” Peiser said. “They totally upset the Lake Travis team, and played outstanding tennis with consistent ground strokes and placement volleys.”

The win advanced the Lady Badgers to the finals Wednesday afternoon where they encountered Marble Falls. Lampasas, however, could not find its groove and lost in straight sets to finish second overall.

Lady Badger Mikenzie Myrick fires a shot toward her Lake Travis opponent. Myrick teamed with Mackenzie Benton and placed fourth in girls’ doubles. “They were nervous and could not get in a rhythm, and did not play anything like the day before which was more aggressive,” Peiser said.

The duo’s season is not over, though, as the finish earns them a trip to the regional tournament April 20 at Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio.

In singles competition, Chris Monroe delivered the team’s most exciting match Wednesday by rallying back from being down match point (0-40) at 2-5 in the second set to defeat Killeen’s No. 1 player 7-5 in three sets.

The victory gave Monroe third place and a playback match against Hendrickson, but the spirited comeback was too draining to recover from, said Peiser.

“Chris was worn down after his two-and-a-half-hour-long match, and he fell in straight sets,” the coach said. “Hendrickson was just too tough.”

After splitting their two matches Tuesday, a pair of Lampasas boys’ doubles teams collided for third place. Mason Thornton/Alex Morua needed three sets to beat teammates Zach Holcomb/Alvin Aleman.

The Lampasas girls’ doubles team of Mikenzie Myrick/ Mackenzie Benton finished fourth after losing to Lake Travis.

“[They] almost pulled out another upset today after defeating Lake Travis’ second team yesterday,” Peiser said. “They took their match to two tiebreakers before falling to Lake Travis’ first team.

“This duo has played great all year and just kept getting better as the year went on.”

Freshman Emily Bever also made it to the second day of play but hit a wall, losing in straight sets to place fourth.

“She played hard but could not get in the same rhythm as yesterday,” Peiser said. “This is a great start to her career [though].”

Chris McWaters, Ashley Hause and the doubles teams of Casey Scott/Jeremy Cantu and Katrina Salazar/Kenneth McGuire all competed at the district tournament but did not advance to the second day.

“All the players had an impressive first day and have nothing to be disappointed about,” Peiser said. “This has been our best team showing in about four years when we sent two teams to regionals.”

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The junior varsity district tournament will be played Tuesday at Pflugerville Hendrickson.