Oken-Maxson combo helps Naperville North tie for title
Naperville North’s doubles lineup continues to impress.
On Saturday the host Huskies won two doubles titles and finished as runner-up in a third to secure a tie for the championship of the Naperville North Invitational.
Hinsdale South, which took the first and third singles and first doubles competition, tied the Huskies for the title with 38 points. Lyons Township was third with 31 points, while Naperville Central and Neuqua Valley tied for fourth with 25, followed by Downers Grove South with 24.
The Huskies’ Kayla Maxson and Tiffany Oken won second doubles with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Sara Devine and Paola Bozhilova of Hinsdale South, and Naperville North’s Julia Li and Karen Liu defeated Downers Grove South’s Bridget O’Toole and Macy Murray 6-0, 6-2 at third doubles.
“We’ve been playing together for a long time,” Maxson said. “We understand each other on the court, and when one of us is low the other helps her out. It’s really important to stay consistent and not let our heads down or get frustrated.”
“We know how to play doubles,” Oken said. “We just know where to be at all times. We’re working on being more aggressive at the net because that’s where we’re winning the most points.”
Maxson and Oken, who are 21-3 overall this season, are undefeated as the Huskies’ first-doubles team in DuPage Valley Conference play. They were also undefeated in conference last year at third doubles and, as a freshman, Oken was undefeated at third doubles, making her 26-0 in DVC play in three seasons.
The third-doubles team of Li and Liu is also developing into an effective duo.
“We complement each other on the court,” Liu said. “We work together well. Julia is really good at the net, and I’m better at the baseline. She can put balls away when I set her up.”
Naperville North’s first-doubles Kamile Stadalninkaite and Abbie Boswell were defeated by Hinsdale South’s Kim Warpecha and Emma Adcock 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in a close championship match.
Stadalninkaite and Boswell won a fiercely contested semi-finals match 4-6, 7-6 (4), 10-5 over Cindy Liu and Cass Goldner of Naperville Central.
“Our doubles teams have been solid for us all year,” said Naperville North coach Heather Henricksen. “Our whole team is stronger mentally this year, because we’re a year older. We’re not emotional on the court. The girls are past that. When we have setbacks we use it as fuel to get better. We’re working harder after losses.”
The Huskies are also blessed with a pair of precocious freshmen doubles player Boswell and Jessica Hu, who finished second at Number Two singles on Saturday.
“Jessica and Abbie are both strong-minded and confident girls and they’re only freshmen,” Henricksen said. “Their attitude and their abilities have made the entire team stronger.”
Lyons Township’s Alex Chatt won the first-singles competition and Meghan Hickey was the third-singles champion. Lindy Wing of Hinsdale South won the second-singles title.