Local players hoping experience helps at state
For many of the area girls tennis players competing Thursday at courts around the Northwest suburbs, the state tournament will be familiar territory.
Dundee-Crown senior Stephanie Zundl is in that category. She'll be making her second straight state finals appearance. Zundl brings a 23-18 mark into the singles tournament.
"This year I'll know more how it goes," said Zundl, who went 1-2 at state as a junior. "My goal is to hopefully make it to the second day and win more matches than I did last year. This means a lot to me. I've worked really hard this year to get back there."
Zundl will not be the only Charger in attendance. D-C's top doubles team of Kim Miller and Maria Ballester brings a 31-11 record into Thursday's action. Miller is also in the state finals for a second straight year.
Jacobs is one of 2 area teams to qualify the maximum of 6 players for the state tournament. The 5-time defending sectional champions will feature Annie Smith (28-4) and Jen Ruther (29-3) in the singles tournament.
Smith, a senior, is a 3-time sectional champion who will look to challenge the Jacobs school record (boys or girls tennis) of 4 state tournament victories (set in 2006 by the boys doubles duo of Dan Doerrfeld and Dave Dulmage). Smith went 3-2 at the state meet last year.
The Golden Eagles also qualified the doubles teams of sectional champions Marlena Aleksiejczyk-Kelley Lippner and the duo of Heather Graham and Kelley Stoka (20-13 overall).
Aleksiejczyk was 29-3 in singles play before joining forces with Lippner. They are 8-0 since forming their partnership. Aleksiejczyk is making her second straight state appearance.
"Kelley is a good friend," said Aleksiejczyk, whose older sisters, Edyta, and Luiza were also state qualifiers for Jacobs. "We communicate well. When we get down, we help each other get back up."
"We work really well together," said Lippner, who was 23-11 at No. 2 doubles this year. "Marlena knows what is going on at the state meet. That will help. We just have to keep doing what we did at the sectional that made us so successful."
Four-time defending Fox Valley Conference and 2007 sectional champion Prairie Ridge also qualified all 6 of its competitors for the state meet. Allison Murphy (25-6) and Carolyn Huerth (30-1) made it in the singles division, while the doubles teams of Jackie and Julie Schwartz (31-0) and Emily Murphy-Laura Curran (30-1) round out a Wolves lineup that many feel could be a factor in terms of the team standings. Emily Murphy, Curran and the Schwartz sisters are all repeat state qualifiers.
Crystal Lake South senior Jenny Maruyama is in the state meet for the fourth straight year in the doubles division. Maruyama is only the third player in South girls tennis history to qualify for the state meet all 4 years--joining Mandy Caesar (1985-1988) and Mandy Chapman (1996-1999) in that category. Maruyama and partner Laura Roesslein are 11-3 together since forming their partnership. They took second in the FVC at No. 1 doubles.
"Laura is a good partner," said Maruyama, whose qualification with Roesslein extends coach Don Nead's streak of girls state finals qualifiers to 12 straight years (as long as he has been the head coach).
"Both of us have spent a lot of time up at the net. Our good hands at the net give us an advantage. Both of us are quick on our feet. We can run and get the ball. We'd like to make it to Friday. This is Laura's first trip and my last. I'm looking to have fun and make sure this is a good learning experience for Laura for next year."
Elgin Academy senior Bethany Boyle is also in the state meet for the fourth straight year. She's 18-6 this season and has 3 career wins in state finals play.
Elgin will be represented by the doubles team of Rachel Hegel and Dana Altieri. Altieri was a doubles qualifier last year with Hegel's sister, Rebekah, while Rachel Hagel qualified for the state meet in 2005 with Rebekah. Rachel Hegel and Altieri are 18-12 this season.