For the record, Paulson and Libertyville are thriving

The question stumped Dan Kiernan, who in turn asked the same one to his Libertyville girls tennis team.

"What's our record, guys?" the coach said after his Wildcats opened North Suburban Lake Division action with a 5-2 win over host Lake Zurich on Tuesday.

"What's a record mean?" one player said.

While Kiernan figured out his team is 4-3 - not counting weekend invitationals - Libertyville No. 1 singles player Sarah Paulson couldn't remember her own personal won-lost record.

Sometimes they're overrated, however.

What the sophomore knows for sure is that - like her team - she's playing well.

After missing half of last season with a knee injury, which didn't require surgery but did necessitate seven weeks of physical therapy, Paulson is showing that she's healthy. She's also displaying the same kind of talent that allowed her to earn the varsity's No. 1 singles slot as a freshman.

Paulson pulled out a 6-4, 6-1 win Tuesday over talented Lake Zurich senior Margaret Boden, who missed the Bears' match against Cary-Grove a day earlier due to illness.

"She played really well after the first couple of games," Kiernan said of Paulson. "She did a nice job against Margaret."

Paulson improved to, she thinks, 12-3 or 12-4.

"Good year ... great year," she said.

"Last year I was not as experienced because I was a freshman. I played a lot more of the higher-ranked girls and a lot of seniors, so it was a hard year for me. I didn't win very many (matches). I won maybe like five all season."

It's been a different story this season. Last year's experience has been paying off.

"I've been more confident and have been playing stronger," Paulson said. "I've been able to finish a lot of the matches that I should be winning."

Libertyville's win came over an experienced opponent that's been playing well all season. Lake Zurich (6-2, 0-2) plays nine seniors and three juniors.

The Bears got wins from their top doubles teams of senior Lindsey Thompson and junior Kristy Peterson (No. 1) and seniors Val Wilson and Emily Rabe (No. 2). Wilson and Rabe outlasted the Wildcats' MK Lee and Meghan Ahlgrim in three sets.

"Libertyville is young and Dan does a really nice job with them," said Lake Zurich coach Marcus Sipiera, who's stepping down after his 12th season to spend more time with his young children and wife, Jennifer, who gave birth to the couple's second daughter, Taylor, last March. Taylor's big sister, Jordan, is almost 21/2.

Libertyville swept singles, with sophomore Nicole Klein (No. 2) and Joanna Suhayda (No. 3) also winning in straight sets.

The Wildcats got doubles wins from juniors Lauren Tasiopolous and Sharon Guan at No. 3 and senior Kendra Witkewicz and junior Maggie O'Brien at No. 4.

"I think mentally this was kind of a hard match for us because (Lake Zurich) is at a comparable level to us," Kiernan said. "The girls were a little nervous.

The Wildcats didn't play like it.

"They're very aggressive," Sipiera said. "They're a very solid team. Going three (singles) and four (doubles), they can show off their depth."