Lawrence High sophomore Taylor Seratte lunges for a return against Shawnee Mission South's Devin Turner. Seratte lost the match, 8-3, Friday in Leavenworth.

Leavenworth ? The first time Lawrence High’s Taylor Seratte faced Olathe South’s Andrew Adams this season, Seratte’s attitude wasn’t exactly optimistic.

Friday, the LHS sophomore developed a new strategy.

“I had a much better attitude this match,” said Seratte, Lawrence’s No. 1 singles tennis player. “I was working the angles a lot more. At the beginning of the year, I was adding an extra opponent by getting down on myself.”

Seratte split two matches earlier in the day and was beating Adams, 4-0, when rain suspended the Sunflower League tennis tournament at Leavenworth High and David Brewer Park. The meet will resume at 1 p.m. Monday at Harmon Park in Prairie Village.

“This was kind of my big rival,” Seratte said of Adams. “I really wanted to see him again in this tournament. I was really excited to start beating him instead of the other way around.”

Seratte’s most punishing shot of the day arose from a rally with Adams. Baseline shots swooped over the net as the audience’s heads rapidly turned back and forth.

Finally, Seratte charged the net.

“After I rushed the net, I got a nice overhead slam on him, so that pumped me up,” Seratte said. “I jumped pretty high in the air and pumped my fist.”

Senior Anthony Frei, Lawrence’s No. 2 singles player, lost both of his matches. His match against Shawnee Mission South’s Alex Brainard was particularly tough since it was so close. Frei lost in a tiebreaker, 9-8, (7-4).

“What was working for Anthony was hitting to Brainard’s backhand, but he figured that out a little too late,” LHS coach Steve Hudson said. “Brainard would hit a weak reply, then Anthony would come to the net for points.”

As the only senior on the varsity roster, the Lions rely on Frei for more than his play on the tennis court.

“Anthony gave me a little pep talk before my matches,” Seratte said. “He basically said to not yell and scream and get down on myself. Anthony definitely has the greatest attitude. Rain or shine, he’ll support you, no matter how bad you’re doing. He’s kind of the grandfather of the team, looking out for us.”

Free State has a relatively new No. 1 singles player – freshman Michael Swank, who debuted as the Firebirds’ top option April 19. Swank won his first match, 8-6, against Olathe East’s Alec Dinnin, but had his second match interrupted by the rain. He trailed Shawnee Mission North’s Kevin Moore, 6-0, 4-1, in the semifinals.

“We go way back,” Swank said of him and Moore. “We used to play all the time. And I used to own him every time. But he’s a really good player and a nice kid. He was working me.”

Moore is the top-ranked player in the tournament. He took second at the Class 6A state meet last season.

Swank is recovering from a shoulder injury and said he still felt some effects Friday. He is now 11-1 on the season.

“I have to try my hardest to warm it up before every match,” Swank said. “I wear a jacket, especially when warming up. When I’m serving, I feel some grinding in it.”

Cameron Casady, who participated in the No. 6 singles spot in a home meet a week ago, competed in the No. 2 singles spot Friday. Casady defeated Olathe South’s Benson James, 8-2. His semifinal match didn’t start because of the rain. Casady moved to 17-3 on the season.

The Firebirds’ No. 1 doubles team, Charlie Moffet and Jack Hull, defeated SM Northwest’s Joe Pagenkopf and Brian Miller, 8-3. The duo then lost to SM East’s Bryce Warnock and Alex Siegel, 6-2, 6-3. Moffet and Hull will play for third place Monday.