Rosary doubles team advances

The smiles, hugs and congratulations were coming in heavy doses Saturday for the Rosary doubles team of seniors Angelina Goheen and Katie King.

This is what happens when you reach the girls' state tennis finals for the third year in a row, but make a stronger statement by capturing the West Aurora sectional doubles title for the first time.

“We tried to close out volleys more this time, and tried to get to the net, King said after Rosary toppled Oswego East juniors Kylee Jackson and Erin Brooks 6-2, 6-2.

Goheen, who will be going to the state competition for her fourth straight year and third with King, said the championship match “was definitely our toughest, and I am just so happy we won.

Goheen and King fell behind 1-0 in the first set, but then put the match on cruise control.

“It took us that first game to really get our momentum going and get into the match, and then everything was cooking really well, Goheen said.

“The girls just executed so well, Rosary coach John Tsang said of his doubles champions. “The whole season was about playing high-percentage tennis, getting to the net and closing out points.

“There is no secret sauce, Tsang said. “It's all about getting returns in and getting first serves in, and frustrate the opponent, which is what they did in this last match.

Despite the loss in the doubles title match, Oswego East garnered enough team points to walk away with the sectional championship title with 26 points, topping second-place Batavia (21), which qualified two singles players for the state finals in junior Hannah Potter and sophomore Miranda Grizzafi.

Potter and Grizzafi had to settle for playing each other in the third-place match, which Potter won 6-4, 6-1, because two freshmen standouts Emily Stefancic of West Aurora and Sajela Harlow of Oswego East reached the singles title match, won by Harlow 6-2, 6-2.

Grizzafi fell to Stefancic 6-4, 6-4, while Potter was toppled by Harlow 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals.

Potter, who has come up short in previous bids to reach the state finals, was able to brush off a first-set loss in her opening match Friday to eventually qualify.

“After I lost the first set (to Victoria Sewell of West Aurora), I just had to start fresh and forget about it, Potter said. “I tried to fight the whole way, I just didn't want to think about the possibility of losing.

Potter said it was “a little weird to play her teammate and friend Grizzafi in the third-place match.

“We had talked beforehand and knew that if we reached the finals, we might be playing each other, Potter said. “But I had kind of forgotten that if we both lost, we would have to play each other.

“I just tried to pretend we were at practice, and it wasn't a big deal.

Batavia coach Brad Nelson said his doubles teams were disappointed they didn't advance, but it didn't tarnish the outcome of the season.

“It was a record breaking year for us in many ways with 21 wins and winning the conference championship and three quads this year, Nelson said. “We have some really athletic girls on this team and they pick things up very quickly.

Waubonsie Valley qualified a doubles team when coach Phil Galow put singles players, senior Jenna Eisses and sophomore Katie Drone, into a doubles tandem that eventually placed third with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over West Aurora's qualifying pair of Yunjin Lee and Haley Henry.

“We have a really good relationship, so we can bond and work together on the court really well, and that's how we are able to get better, Eisses said of her partnership with Drone as they prepare for their first trip to the state finals.

Eisses and Drone fell to Oswego East's Jackson and Brooks in the semifinal round 6-2, 6-2, but were aided a bit in the third round when they toppled the weary Rosary duo of Micah Goyao and Andrea Goyao 6-0, 6-2.

The Rosary pair had a monstrous first two rounds on Friday, playing for 8 ½ hours in two matches that went three sets, including tiebreakers in all three sets of a match against Oswego.

Rosary finished third as a team with 18 points, just ahead of West Aurora at 16

points.