Badminton: A good pairing for Glenbard East

A professed doubles player in badminton, Glenbard East's Nicole Liljestrand thought she was set for her senior year.

Then her partner from 2015 didn't return. Enter junior Sam Katsikas, a good friend but one who has always preferred singles.

"It was basically just (Glenbard East coach Brad Lundine) telling us, 'Here. You guys are playing,' " Liljestrand said. "I started badminton my sophomore year and she was a freshman so we just kind of met then. We've always been good friends (since). It's just a natural pairing for us."

Any early-season concerns continued to be refuted Saturday after they finished second at No. 1 doubles at Glenbard East's annual 7-Team Tournament in Lombard. The teams played robin-robin matches of four singles and three doubles.

Waubonsie Valley sophomore Shalu Manoharan - fifth at state singles in 2015 behind two seniors - improved to 16-0 by winning all six of her No. 1 singles matches in two games.

Liljestrand and Katsikas were among three second-place finishers for the Rams. They only lost 21-16, 21-19 to Hersey seniors Kimmy Hay and May Napora.

"It's kind of been working out well. We really just mesh when we're on the court," Katsikas said. "I was kind of like, 'I don't know how this will work because we're such good friends.' I was kind of bummed that I was taken away from singles (for invites), but I like it now. She's been helping me out."

Hersey won by claiming four flight championships and 38 out of a possible 42 matches. Schaumburg and Glenbard East both had 29 points with the Saxons receiving second by beating the Rams 4-3 head-to-head. Downers Grove South and Glenbard South were fourth and fifth and Waubonsie seventh.

Manoharan not only is undefeated this season, she hasn't lost a game. She held Saturday's opponents to single digits in 11 of 12 games and 84 points combined.

"I've been training a lot harder," Manoharan said. "My main strength is my speed, so if I just use my speed to the best of my abilities then I'm pretty sure that I can do the best I can."

Manoharan was 31-1 in 2015, including a regular-season victory over three-time state champion Stephanie Lin of Lyons Township. The No. 2 seed at state, Manoharan suffered her only loss in the round of 16 before winning five straight in the back draw.

"I think all that pressure was building up all throughout the season and that match (I lost), I just kind of let it go," Manoharan said. "Last year at state I put too much pressure on myself. I had an undefeated record. I just wanted to keep that going and to win state. I just want to be more careful this year, be more calm so that I can do the best I can at state."

Downers South's Sarah Slowik won No. 3 singles. Taking second were Glenbard South senior Logan Fenhouse and junior Paityn Schabes at No. 1 doubles and Glenbard East's No. 2 doubles team of Abby Ekstrand and Jessamy Villaroza and No. 4 singles player Hena Farooki. The Rams' No. 3 doubles team of Lea Markovich and Aileen Morales, No. 2 singles player Molly Camp and No. 3 singles player Aisha Kamran were third.