Team effort earns title for Wheaton Warrenville South
Illinois high school girls tennis coaches preach the value of every spot in the lineup.
After all a win at fourth doubles is worth just as much as a win at No. 1 singles.
Wheaton Warrenville South has the kind of depth that can take advantage of that scoring system, and the Tigers did in Saturday's St. Charles East Invitational, winning the team competition by just one point.
"Our top players turned it up a notch and played really well," Wheaton Warrenville coach Patti Clousing said. "You don't just win with a strong top half, you've got to have that depth all the way through."
Geneva finished fourth in the team standings but still took home a lot of hardware.
"We're really strong at the top, and we expect to get those wins," Geneva coach Maureen Weiler said.
Kayla Fujimoto easily swept through her first two matches before meeting St. Charles East's Stefanie Youngberg in the top singles final.
"I was able to get ahead right away in those matches," Fujimoto said.
Youngberg, who got there by gutting out a win over Wheaton North's Meg Bell, knew what sort of match she was in for.
"After the first set I started being more aggressive," Youngberg said. "I love playing against Kayla, because I know she's always going to be tough."
After Fujimoto won the opening set, 6-1, Youngberg started reading and responding to her opponent's shots, forcing the Vikings sophomore to work for a 7-6 win.
The No. 2 singles title went to Benet's Lauren Gaspar, who defeated Andrea Kerwin of WW South, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Geneva's Jamie Potts turned in a tenacious effort to defeat Anusha Balaji of Naperville Central, 6-2, 6-3 in the third-place match.
"First sets are always the hardest for me, so I had to be consistent and make (Balaji) work harder," Potts said.
Blair Selakovich and Mary Pelling beat Steph Jenks and Mel Milling of Wheaton Warrenville South, 6-3, 7-5 in the top doubles title match.
"We played that team last weekend, so we knew what we needed to do to win," Pelling said.
It was the fourth straight year that Selakovich has been part of the No. 1 doubles championship team at this invite, and to get there she had to bounce back after losing a few long volleys in set two.
"When you lose a long point it motivates you to win the next one," Selakovich said.
Geneva also captured the No. 2 doubles title, as Liz Bertrand and Krista Panko shook off a rough start and beat Erica Fenn and Jaimi Inskeep of Wheaton Warrenville South, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The Tigers finished with 46 total points, followed by two teams with 45 each. Wheaton North earned part of that second place tie behind Heather Ronaldson's first-place finish at third singles. Naperville Central claimed the other half with championship efforts by Michelle Fern at No. 4 singles, Sarah Parker and Sonia Nilakhe at third doubles, and Jeri McCombs and Hannah Sakats at No. 4 doubles.
"We know our strength is our depth, and that's what did it today," Naperville Central coach Don Bonet said.
Geneva finished fourth with 42 points, followed by Benet's 37, and St. Charles East with 33.
Saints coach Sena Drawer was pleased with Laura Wilkerson's second-place finish at fourth singles.
"I'm happy for her because I knew she really wanted to play well in this tournament," Drawer said.
Batavia came in seventh with 26 team points, but coach Brad Nelson saw several positive signs that his team is moving in the right direction.
"We mixed things up with our lineup today," Nelson said. "We know we're in for it when we come to play in this tournament, but I was pleased with how we competed."