Kevin Collier emphasizes that the girls tennis season is still young, and the Bend High coach maintains the Lava Bears are still strong this year.

Yet Bend got all it could handle from visiting Ridgeview on Thursday.

Despite six of eight matches needing three sets to decide winners, the Lava Bears won three of four singles matches en route to a 5-3 dual victory over the Ravens.

“It was a well-fought match,” Collier said. “Having six matches go three sets, it was an even-matched contest. I think we all learned a lot about ourselves and each other.”

Though Bend (Class 5A Special District 1) and Ridgeview (Midwestern League) will compete at separate district tournaments next month, the two provided a thrilling nonconference dual at Bend High.

The Lava Bears’ Isabel Haycraft outlasted Ridgeview’s Peyton Spencer for a 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 win at No. 2 singles, and Kiley Buehler and Anjali Chopra provided Bend with a pair of two-set victories at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively.

Bend then secured the victory with a pair of doubles wins: Trinity Barudoni and Sophie Rolie winning at No. 2 doubles, and Maycie Mitsch and Chloe Preston finishing on top at No. 3.

“The No. 1 doubles was a pretty good match,” Collier said. “It’s hard to single any one out. But that was a good match.”

That No. 1 doubles dual was the closest of the day, as Ridgeview’s Marie Carr and Megan Alldredge bested Bend’s Susie Garcia and Megan Riley 6-2, 4-6, 12-10. Also for the Ravens, Sierra Cassaro won at No. 1 singles with a 7-6, 4-6, 12-7 victory over Bend’s Kyla Collier. And the No. 4 doubles team of Willow Cook and Grace Lafontaine won 6-2, 2-6, 10-8.

“We’ve got a ways to go,” Collier said of the season. “I think we have a pretty solid squad. We just have to keep plugging away and take the positives out of each match and just keep trying to get better.”