Homestead prevails in conference tennis tourney
NSC teams eye bids to state tournament
It was all a matter of station-keeping in the North Shore Conference girls tennis tournament on Friday, as nothing really changed all that much.
Homestead won (as it did in Monday's WIAA sub-sectional), Nicolet was second and Whitefish Bay third (the two tied in their sub-sectional on Monday), and all plotted their paths toward potential berths in the WIAA State Team Tournament.
For the defending state champion Highlanders, it was just a matter of staying the course, and allowing their four singles players (who were a combined 115-0 heading into state play) to lead the way, and they did as Aly Coran, Carly Peck, Sophia Lococo and Megan Geschke all cruised to titles in their respective flights.
Nicolet's Jennifer Winston did give the defending state singles champ Coran a mild headache in the final, with a 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) final.
"Some kids when they play Aly, they don't even give themselves a chance," said Knights coach Tim Koppa. "Not Jennifer. She loves the opportunity."
In doubles, it was close to the same, as the Highlanders Brittany Watchmaker and Corey Mattson (18-1) and Dani Merar and Kristin Swenson (20-0) powered their way to titles at first and second doubles. But with an injury to Homestead's Christy Kritner at third doubles (since healed), the Nicolet third doubles duo of Erin Miller and Sari Edelman claimed a three-set decision for the title and the lone break in the Highlanders' sweep.
"We just kept her out of the whole conference tourney," Homestead coach Jackie Egelhoff said. "Everything else was pretty much in its place. Now it's up to us to use that competitiveness that we've built up in the conference season to our advantage (in WIAA play)."
Kritner joined regular partner Alison Berman (23-1) back in sub-sectional play Monday.
"And no, we're not getting complacent or ahead of ourselves," Egelhoff said of her squad, which has not lost a team event all fall. "We're working hard, and we're going to battle until the end."
The Highlanders sent qualifiers to the Waukesha West sectional held on Wednesday. They were heavy favorites to win the event and advance to the WIAA State Team Tournament on Oct. 23 and 24 in Madison. Meanwhile, Bay and Nicolet will compete in the Greendale sectional Thursday where they will do battle with the host Woodland Conference champion Panthers for a state berth.
The individual state tournament will be Oct. 15-17 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison.
"We're in a very good frame of mine heading into sectional," said Koppa. "It's an exciting chance. Bay and us are so close and now Greendale is thrown into the mix. It's all a matter of who'll play better that day." (See the MyCommunityNOW.com sites for more information).
"I think we're going to have play extremely well and catch some breaks, hope for a few upsets," added Blue Dukes coach Phil Kelbe. "We beat them (the Knights) a few weeks ago (4-3), but they've shown that they're pretty tough to beat."
Nicolet validated Kelbe's point by putting six entries in the finals at the conference tournament. Runner-up finishes went to Winston, Becca Stern, Rachelle Brick and Emma Wathen in singles and to the second doubles teams of Erica Lurie and Rebecca Raj.
Bay's best finishes were all thirds including singles players Sophie Lillie, Kylie Davidson, Natalie Harland and Arden Montgomery.
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