Girls tennis: Benet off to a fast start
Benet senior Katie Telford said she and doubles partner Pauline Neubert were at their best for the first day of the girls tennis state tournament Thursday.
Their opponents would have a hard time disagreeing.
Telford and Neubert gave up just one game to win their first- and second-round matches in the Class 1A tournament. After playing Thursday at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, the second-seeded Benet duo advanced to play at Wheeling on Friday morning against Bloomington Central Catholic's Maggie Stopa and Charlie Satoris, a 9-16 season, in the third round.
“I think we were really fired up and we were really excited for state, so we brought our best,” Telford said.
Telford is the net player of the pairing, while Neubert, a junior who recently moved from Germany, feels most comfortable on the baseline. It's part of the reason Benet coach Michael Hand opted to put them together occasionally through the season and again for the state series. They played about a dozen matches together off and on during the season.
“I think he realized that we work really well together,” Telford said.
It also helps Neubert to have the experienced hand in Telford beside her. Telford has played at state before.
“It's really hard, especially for Pauline, who hasn't played in this before, so it's kind of a new experience for her in this environment,” Hand said. “But she was playing real well. I liked what I saw.”
As for the split in the tournament along enrollment lines, Telford and Neubert agreed it made no difference to them. They were just focusing on their game.
“I don't really notice the difference,” Telford said.
Telford and Neubert had help from Benet teammates Kate Piazza and Caroline Arnold, who each will continue today in the championship bracket.
Their efforts helped put Benet in second place in the team standings with 12 points, 2 behind Rock Island Alleman. Wheaton Academy is tied for fourth place in Class 1A with 9 points.
Abygale Ahn of Timothy Christian, a 9-16 seed, also stayed alive in the Class 1A singles bracket.
In the small-school doubles bracket, Wheaton Academy's Lily Bracy and Olivia Hamm, a 9-16 seed, also moved on.
In Class 2A Hinsdale Central is in second place with 12 points. Glenbard West's 9 points is good for fifth place. Neuqua Valley is tied for sixth with 8 points.
Wheaton Warrenville South's Samantha Choi, a 5-8 seed, advanced with a pair of 6-0, 6-0 victories. Jacquelyne Qi of Naperville Central moved on by winning twice, losing just 5 games total. Glenbard West's Sienna Lopez also moved on in singles play, winning twice in two sets each. Qi and Lopez are both 9-16 seeds.
In doubles play Glenbard West's Grace Giffin and Molly Rueth lost just three games to win their first two matches and advance in the championship bracket. Giffin and Rueth are a 9-16 seed.
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