Girls tennis: Naperville Central repeats as DVC champion
The Naperville Central girls tennis team led Neuqua Valley just 45-44 in dual-meet points going into this weekend's DuPage Valley Conference Tournament.
When Saturday's finals at Waubonsie Valley were over, the Redhawks had opened up that lead en route to their second consecutive conference title plaque.
"I am so proud of the way we played in the tournament. We've been playing our best tennis at the end of the year," said Naperville Central coach Dan Brown. "We won at four positions and that is incredible. I'm very pleased with how we competed."
The final point totals, dual-meet and tournament points combined, read Naperville Central with 60, Neuqua with 54 and Naperville North with 44.5. Teams following the Huskies were Wheaton North 39.5, Wheaton Warrenville South 32, Waubonsie 30, Metea Valley 29, Lake Park 11 and Glenbard North 2.
The Redhawks' winners list started with Kristin Yuan at No. 3 singles, who grabbed her third straight league title with a 6-2, 6-1 win in the final over Naperville North's Jennifer Ray.
"I was trying to run hard and hit the corners and try to use my forehand, which is my favorite shot," Yuan said of the match.
Senior Zoe Comerford had missed four weeks of this season due to a stress fracture and was hungry to add a DVC title to her tennis resume. She got her wish when she and Elaine Liu won at No. 2 doubles.
"I am so happy. I have never won conference on the varsity level and this was my last DVC meet," she said.
The duo's only league loss was to the Neuqua pair of Charlotte Harland and Sara Mata that they beat 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday.
Once the meet seedings were out and Comerford and Liu were seeded No. 2, the two felt the pressure was off and they were headed to the court to play the best they could.
"We played without anything to lose. It was an opportunity to win," Liu said.
The No. 3 doubles pair of Alexandra Dram and Nina Raab stayed undefeated overall by beating Wheaton North's Amber Hanke and Amanda Redman 6-1, 7-5. Dram said she and Raab faced much windier conditions when they played Hanke and Redman the first time around.
"Today all the hard work came together," Dram said.
Raab said Saturday's second set was a challenge.
"The first set was pretty much the same as when we played them before. In the second set they were a lot more aggressive at the net and closing. If there is anything I learned today, it's being mentally tough and how important it is," she said.
The final individual medals for the Redhawks came from Brianna Mitchell and Tiffany Smolik, who defeated Megan Wright and Kayla Hess of Waubonsie 6-3 and 6-4.
"They lost a tough first set in a semifinal against Wheaton North. And to regroup and play their best the rest of the day to win a DVC title is very impressive," Brown said.
WW South brought in two undefeated overall singles players and went home with two undefeated overall singles players. Sophomore Sam Choi beat Naperville Central's Jacquelyne Qi 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 to earn her second DVC medal.
"I was making more shots than the last time with a little more energy. She's a good player," Choi said.
Freshman Emily Orlove earned her first high school postseason championship with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Neuqua's Veena Murali.
"Keeping calm is a major factor in a match. I was not doing my best job then in the first set. I was calm the other two sets. I am very pleased at coming out my first season and winning this," she said.
Naperville North earned a league title with a victory at No. 1 doubles. Brooke Stensby and Kavya Rachapalli beat Neuqua's Hanna Beck and Hannah Neuman, 6-2, 6-3.
"We definitely played with our strategy," Stensby said.
Next up for all the DVC teams is sectional play that runs Friday and Saturday. Naperville Central, Naperville North, Metea and Waubonsie are at West Aurora. Neuqua is at Plainfield South. Glenbard North, Wheaton North and WW South are at St. Charles East and Lake Park is at Conant.