Mustangs rally to send three players to state
Mundelein's tennis players know how to stage a comeback. And that's a skill that will serve them well as they head to state next weekend.
Sophomore Hanne MacDonald earned a state berth this weekend with a come-from-behind victory against Libertyville's Dena Boulieris, while the doubles team of Karlie Alms and Paige Parola qualified for state Friday, then battled back from an early deficit to take third at the Highland Park sectional Saturday.
"It's so exciting," Parola, a freshman, said. "This is one of the first years that singles and doubles have both gone to state from Mundelein. It's a big thing for me and Karlie, and we know Hanne's really excited too."
On Friday, MacDonald dispatched North Chicago's Deyanira Hurtado in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. That set up a match with Boulieris, who had defeated her both during the regular season and at conference.
It looked like history was going to repeat early, as the Libertyville senior had MacDonald down 5-1 and facing match point at 40-Love. MacDonald fought off three match-point opportunities, coming back to win the match 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 and advance to state for the first time.
"I don't get fazed when I get down or miss a shot," MacDonald said. "So I knew if I just stayed focused and kept my racket speed up I could be successful.
"I just wanted to go out swinging. I won the game, and it just kind of went my way. I just stayed really focused and wasn't going to give her any free shots."
The doubles team of Alms and Parola advanced to Saturday's sectional final with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Libertyville's Sharon Lo and Emily Paul and a 6-1, 6-0 victory vs. Carmel's Jen Lee and Kristina Eilers. Then after falling to eventual sectional champs Amanda Manci and Jamie Klein of Highland Park Saturday morning, they put together an impressive comeback of their own.
After losing the first set against Olivia Napier and Emma Rudnik of Woodlands Academy in the third-place match, the Mustangs duo was down 5-2 in the second set.
Using a strong crosscourt game and forcing Woodlands into tough shots, Alms and Parola battled back to win the set 7-5 and force a third round. They dominated the rubber set for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 win.
"Both of us have really good ideas on how to play together," Alms said. "And if one of us is having an off day, the other is usually on. So we complement each other really well. One of us will be good at the net and the other at the baseline, so we're able to carry each other."
Overall, Mundelein finished third in the sectional with 9 points. The host Giants won the sectional title with 27 points, sending two singles players (sectional champ Julie Flanzer and Marcela Ampon) and two doubles teams (Manci and Klein, Emily Smith and Jessie Perlstein) to state. Woodlands (second, 14 points) sent Napier and Rudnik to state along with sophomore Annie Sullivan.
-- Jeff Fleischer
At Lakes: Warren's Allison Strakusek and Taylor Ackerman defeated the host Eagles' Jeanna Dudley and Elisa Lopez in the third-place match.
Both doubles teams qualified for state. It was an all-Lake Forest doubles final, with Hollis McPeek/Kathleen Saltarelli defeating Lucy Clark/Claire DiMario.
It was also Lake Forest against Lake Forest for the singles title. Nicole Lipp beat Katie Zordani.
Johnsburg's Margaret Fox defeated her teammate Janessa Jergensen in the third-place match.
Lake Forest won the sectional title with 36 points, easily ahead of runner-up Johnsburg (21). Warren (15) edged Lakes (14) for third.
At Stevenson: Stevenson and Lake Zurich will both be represented at state.
Lake Zurich's Ingrid Brauer finished fourth in singles, while Stevenson's doubles team of Alexis Karigan/Lindsey Hahn also placed fourth.
Buffalo Grove advanced singles players Nell Boyd (second) and Jen Immen (third) and its doubles team of Heather Nisbet/Ashton Nisbet. Fremd will send to state singles-champ Jenna Langhorst and its doubles team of Katie Dewar/Elizabeth Stephenson.
Deerfield won the doubles crown with Cali Gustafson/Julia Fellerhoff.
Buffalo Grove and Fremd each finished with 17 points.