Glenbard West rises to the occasion
Glenbard West senior Molly Hughes and sophomore Molly Rueth built upon winning their first two doubles matches at the Wheaton North Quad on Saturday.
The Hilltoppers lost their finale, but it was an 11-9 tiebreaker to decide the third set against Benet senior Allison Bartley and junior Katie Telford, a top-24 doubles finisher at the 2014 girls tennis state meet.
"I think that's the best we've ever played together," Hughes said. "Even though we didn't win, it'll help us out a lot at sectionals (for seeding)."
Overachieving described several Hilltoppers as they won the quad with 16 match victories, followed by Neuqua Valley (14), Benet (8) and the host Falcons (4). The three singles-four doubles format used no-ad games and 10-point tiebreakers to decide third sets.
Glenbard West three-time state singles qualifier Caroline Maltby was out of town on a college visit.
The Hilltoppers were 3-0 at the other doubles spots with juniors Katie Snow and Summer Johanneson and sophomore Allie Maltby alternating at No. 2, senior Abbey Nelson and junior Ali Koch (No. 3) and senior Hallie Park and junior Cailey Cranny (No. 4).
They added two singles victories apiece by freshman Sophia Fausey (No. 2) and Claire Burelbach (No. 3), a sophomore promoted from the junior varsity. Sophomore Grace Griffin won once at No. 1 with two three-set losses.
"It says a lot for the way the girls stepped up," Glenbard West coach Jim Valleskey said. "We were moving up everybody in singles, so that was a big day for us."
Top-four singles and double finishers at sectionals qualify for state. In 2014 Benet, Glenbard West and Wheaton North competed together at the Naperville North sectional.
This year the Falcons remain at Naperville North, but Benet and Glenbard West are at Downers Grove South with two-time defending state champion Hinsdale Central. Neuqua Valley is at Plainfield North.
Hughes and graduated Megan Morris and Benet senior Coco Tzakis and Wheaton North junior Emme Lindquist lost in last year's sectional quarterfinals. Tzakis was a 2013 state singles qualifier.
"This is my last year. (State has) been my goal, I think, since freshman year, so we're definitely going to try," Hughes said.
"I think we have a really good chance. We still have hard people (at sectionals), but I think we'll do fine if we just put in the hard work," Rueth said.
Bartley and Telford, 2-0 on Saturday, have lost just once this season. Their state performance encouraged them to train hard, and often together, in the off-season.
"We didn't have to start off rebuilding that relationship we had. We've got the same bond and found our place together," Bartley said. "We're trying to start at that (state meet) level and improve even more. We have our goal of getting to state, but we want to do even better."
Neuqua Valley junior Jessica Chen, a 2014 state singles qualifier, was 2-1 at No. 1 singles. Tzakis was 2-0 with wins at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles with Bartley.
Neuqua won all four singles matches against Glenbard West. The Wildcats' No. 1 doubles team of senior Hannah Gerdes and foreign exchange student Adriana Mata beat Wheaton North and lost twice in three sets.
Gerdes, who played No. 4 doubles at the invite last year, and Mata became partners three matches into this season.
"I like playing with her a lot. She's really good. She's super consistent," Gerdes said. "Basically the game plan is to keep it going hard down the line until they make a mistake or I can poach. I like it because I don't have to run."
Mata played club tennis in Spain because there are no high school sports teams. She arrived in the United States about a week before tryouts.
"Hannah is a very good player at the net," Mata said. "The school is different, but I like going to all of the places with the tennis team on the bus and I've made some really good friends here."
Wheaton North freshman No. 1 singles player Madeline Fidel beat Chen 7-5, 6-3 in the day's final match. Fidel split two three-set matches, including a loss to Tzakis.
"It's been going really well (this season). I've had some really good matches against a lot of older players," Fidel said. "I like the concept of being on a team because in USTA it's all individual."
Lindquist is battling plantar fasciitis in her feet. She still played once and suffered her first No. 2 singles loss this season to Fausey.
"I'm hoping to be OK by sectionals," Lindquist said. "I still need more rest. That's what we realized (today). But Sophia did great. She played well."