Warlassies continue postseason run with third round victory
Owen women’s tennis team sets new standard for program
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 21, 2026
The Owen Warlassies will compete, Oct. 26, in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 3A Women’s Dual Team Tennis Playoffs, marking the first time the program has advanced beyond the third round. Photo by Fred McCormick
A third round victory over the top seeded 3A women’s tennis in the state, Oct. 19, set a new standard for Owen tennis, as the No. 9 Warlassies defeated No. 1 North Stanly, 5-4, advancing to the fourth round of the NCHSAA 3A Women’s Dual Team Tennis Playoffs for the first time in program history.
Owen, which earned a bye in the opening round of the tournament before defeating East Surry in the second, will travel to Mooresville at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21, to face No. 5 Pine Lake Preparatory. The quarterfinal match will follow appearances by freshman Liberty Walters and junior Madalynne Phillips in the Women’s Individual State Championship tournament, Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24, in Burlington.
The Warlassies finished the regular season with a 9-7 record, earning second place in the Western Highlands Conference with a 6-2 mark. The team won eight straight matches, following the mid-season addition of Walters, who finished the campaign with an 8-0 record against No. 1 seed opponents. Phillips and senior Amaura Feste anchored the second third slots, posting respective marks of 6-2 and 5-3 in their positions.
While Owen entered the season as a “strong team,” according to head coach Pegg Rozzell, the players continued to build momentum throughout the campaign. Players exceeded the early season expectations of the coach, who established the program in 2000 and returned this year to lead it again.
“I knew Madalynne was in the state finals last year, so I expected her to have a strong year, and when Liberty came along, I knew they would each have strong individual seasons,” the coach said. “The whole team had never gone to the third round.”
The Owen Warlassies defeated North Stanly, Oct. 19, to advance to the fourth round of the state playoffs for the first time in program history. Photo by Fred McCormick
The roster, which includes junior Layla Core, freshman Maeve Sterley, senior Avery Blankenship, junior Emerson Kearns, sophomore Romana Wardwell and senior Allie Padgett, was committed to improving throughout the season.
“They work hard and practice hard, so I can’t take credit for their success,” Rozzell said. “One that I think has really helped us is our focus on doubles strategies and being smart with our shots.”
The Warlassies defeated East Surry, 5-0, in their 2026 postseason debut. They won three singles matches against North Stanly, leading to a decisive doubles match for the doubles team of Core and Feste.
“We had to win two doubles matches, and our No. 1 team lost, so we needed our No. 2 and 3 to win,” Rozzell said. “Our third team of Maddie Pomeroy and Maeve Sterley won their match easily, but Layla and Amaura had to play a tie-breaker, after tying 8-8. It was back-and-forth the entire way.”
The playoff victory was a signature victory for the Warlassies, she added.
“They were so excited,” Rozzell said. “They knew they had accomplished something that no Owen women’s tennis team had done before, so they were happy to celebrate that win.”
With two individual players set to compete in the state championship and an upcoming playoff match for the team, the coach is encouraging the student-athletes to maintain their focus.
“I don’t like to put pressure on them,” Rozzell said. “When you start talking too much about winning and losing, it can be overwhelming. Instead, we’re working on fundamentals and keeping their skills sharp as they go through the playoffs.”