East Wilkes could have been satisfied at just making the dual-team girls tennis playoffs.

But the Cardinals didn't let up after learning they had made the field as a wildcard entry, knocking off top-seeded Gray Stone Day 5-4 at Pfeiffer University on Tuesday afternoon.

The match came down to No. 1 doubles. With the score tied 4-4, the Cardinal tandem of Brianna Fulp and Jessie Elmore - fresh off a conference championship run last week - played strong down the stretch for a 10-8 victory.

The East duo won four of the last five games to prevail.

"They were playing a previously undefeated doubles team, and one that we will probably run into again in regionals," East Wilkes coach Aaron Simmons said of his top doubles team. "We were down 7-6 at one point but calmly rallied for the win."

Fulp, Elmore, Lauren Stutts and Jessica Taylor won in singles to lift East Wilkes to an early advantage. But the Cardinals' No. 2 and 3 doubles teams (Stutts/Samantha Johnson and Erica Wood/Jackie Pardue) both lost, making for a tight finish.

East Wilkes advances to the second round and will travel to Bishop McGuinness on Tuesday afternoon. Bishop won the Northwest 1A Conference with an undefeated record, though the Cardinals were competitive in stretches against the Villains in a pair of losses.

"We lost 6-3 the last time to Bishop, losing one three-setter and we lost one doubles match 9-7," Simmons said. "The girls are very excited at their chance to continue to play and elongate what has been a fun season."

Fulp and Elmore will be in action today and possibly Saturday at the 1A West Region tournament at East Montgomery. The duo will be attempting to reach the 1A state tourney in doubles. Pairings and seedings will be announced just before matches begin this afternoon.

Elkin's top doubles team, Julia Holcomb and Elizabeth Woodward also play in the 1Aregionals.

In the 2A West regionals, Surry Central's Emily Perkins and Stephanie Doby qualified in singles and the doubles teams of Kristie Combs/Tara Dockery and Haley Smith/Hannah Dockery made the regionals in doubles.

Perkins is 18-1 and Doby is 16-2 going into today's matches, which begin at 2 p.m. at Wilkes Central High School in Moravian Falls. Doubles play is at Wilkes Community College.

The duo of Combs and Hannah Dockery are 17-1 and Smith/Tara Dockery are 14-4.

"There's going to be some tough competition. A lot tougher than it was at our conference tournament," Central coach Heather Venable said. "Some big names in singles (Amy Clure -West Henderson, Davis Claire Hiatt-Brevard. Ashe County has two doubles teams."

Starmount will send Laura Beaver and Maryann Price in singles, and the doubles team of Emily Welborn-Yesenia Najera.