Scouting Fox Valley players at state
Singles
Qualifier: Amanda Dorsey (Jr.), Cary-Grove
How she got here: Entered the Cary-Grove sectional as the No. 5 seed but finished fourth to qualify for state meet.
Outlook: A first-time state qualifier, Dorsey opens the tournament against senior Jessica Albers from Rochelle at Barrington.
Qualifier: Jennifer Gates (Fr.), Bartlett
How she got here: Finished second at the St. Charles East sectional, lost title match 6-1, 6-4 to Liselot Koenen of St. Charles North.
Outlook: One of the top 14-year-olds in the state, Gates enters her first state tournament fresh off a second-place finish at the St. Charles East sectional. She won the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division tournament two weeks ago. Gates opens the state tournament against junior Amanda Conklin from Normal at Buffalo Grove.
Qualifier: Jennifer Mellenthin (Sr.), Streamwood
How she got here: Finished third at the Elgin sectional after defeating Bri Roeser of Huntley 6-1, 6-0.
Outlook: A state qualifier for the second straight year, Mellenthin hopes to improve upon last year's first-round defeat. She opens play against Crystal Lake Central sophomore Jenna Wallace at Buffalo Grove.
Qualifier: Sydney Nowak (Fr.), Jacobs
How she got here: Didn't lose a game in her first 5 sets at the Elgin sectional, eventually finished second to Elgin's Jacey Sirinit in a thrilling match that went 3 sets.
Outlook: Nowak has been Jacobs' No. 1 singles player all season and finished fourth at the Fox Valley Conference meet. She'll face fellow freshman Tyra Buss of Mt. Carmel at Schaumburg.
Qualifier: Bri Roeser (Sr.), Huntley
How she got here: She rose from the No. 5 seed at the Elgin sectional to nab her first state berth.
Outlook: Roeser will open the state tournament against two-time Upstate Eight Conference champion Liselot Koenen of St. Charles North at Barrington.
Qualifier: Jacey Sirinit (So.), Elgin
How she got here: Defeated Sydney Nowak in 3 sets to win the Elgin sectional.
Outlook: A two-time state qualifier, Sirinit opens the tournament at Conant against Morgan Park freshman Darnesha Moore.
Qualifier: Marisa Thome (So.), Crystal Lake South
How she got here: Thome finished second at the Cary-Grove sectional, dropping the final to CL Central senior Nelle Youel, 6-2, 6-0.
Outlook: Thome, who finished third at the Fox Valley Conference Meet two weeks ago, will open the tournament against Harley Hutchison of Joliet Catholic at Palatine High School.
Doubles
Qualifiers: Marcilyn Rowan (Jr.) and Lauren Steinkamp (Jr.), Jacobs
How they got here: Improved on last year's runner-up finish at the Elgin sectional by winning the sectional title.
Outlook: The duo hopes to improve on last year's showing, when they lost the first set in a tiebreaker and were ousted in straight sets. They open play against the Danville team of Emma Peck and Bethany Sexton at Hersey.
Qualifiers: Kassy Bernardo (Jr.) and Autumn Hackett (Jr.), Jacobs
How they got here: Finished second at the Elgin sectional to teammates Rowan and Steinkamp.
Outlook: Bernardo reached the state doubles competition last season with a different partner. The juniors open play against Cassie Kasicki and Liz McGrail of Rockford Guilford at Rolling Meadows.
Qualifiers: Sam Chapman (Sr.) and Lydia Jiang (Sr.), Huntley
How they got here: At the Elgin sectional, Chapman and Jiang lost a 3-set semifinal before they swept Hampshire to finish third.
Outlook: They face the Lockport tandem of Abigail Plecki and Kelsey Forkin at Rolling Meadows
Qualifiers: Kendall Walker (Jr.) and Taylor Zilch (Sr.), Hampshire
How they got here: Walker and Zilch entered the Elgin sectional seeded No. 5 but secured one of the top four positions to make state.
Outlook: First-time qualifiers, the duo will take on the Oak Park-River Forest team of Emma Forman and Ann Ryan at Hersey.
Qualifiers: Carolyn Huerth (Sr.), Allison Murphy (Sr.), Prairie Ridge
How they got here: Swept four straight matches to win the Cary-Grove sectional title a week after winning the Fox Valley Conference title.
Outlook: The defending state champions enter the state tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and favorites to repeat.
Qualifiers: Abbey Kolarczyk (Sr.), Rachel Simon (So.), Crystal Lake South
How they got here: They swept 3 matches to reach the Cary-Grove sectional final but were beaten for the title by defending state champions Carolyn Huerth and Allison Murphy of Prairie Ridge.
Outlook: Gators also finished second in the Fox Valley Conference to Huerth and Murphy but begin the tournament on the opposite side of the bracket. They open against Edwardsville's Maria Kovarik (Sr.) and Jessica Burns (Jr.) at Elk Grove Village.
Qualifiers: Beth Hughes (Jr.), Arley Bayer (Jr.), Cary-Grove
How they got here: Won two matches at the Cary-Grove sectional before finishing fourth.
Outlook: This is Beth Hughes' second state appearance. She qualified in singles as a freshman. They open the tournament against Kim Simmons and Madeline Carney from Benet at Rolling Meadows.
Qualifiers: Katie Gates (Jr.) and Gabby Gregorio (Fr.), Bartlett
How they got here: Finished third at the St. Charles East sectional.
Outlook: Bartlett's best doubles team will take on Nazareth's Alysa Straub and Alexia Petrovic in the first round at Rolling Meadows.