Fremd, Buffalo Grove lead MSL title chase
Fremd has put itself in position to win yet another Mid-Suburban League badminton championship, but Buffalo Grove is squarely in the hunt.
The Vikings are looking for their fifth straight title, and in Friday’s action at Schaumburg they won three of the five doubles brackets to give them 23 points and a lead in the meet going into today’s singles play.
But the Bison were able to pull out a pair of 3-set victories at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles to put them just 3 points behind Fremd in what has shaped up as a two-team battle.
“Obviously Fremd’s got a great team, and we had tough matches all the way through the night, but the ones we had to have were the one and two doubles,” BG coach Chris Van Grondelle said. “They’re in the lead with the doubles standing, but we pride ourselves on doubles. Fremd’s got some great teams and we do too.”
At No. 1 doubles BG’s team of Michelle Byjos and Nell Boyd overcame a 21-12 defeat in the first set, and went on to 21-18 and 21-17 victories in the final two sets to take the MSL title.
“Nell and I, we have each other to keep our composure,” Byjos said. “Whenever we get frustrated we just have to take it slow. Sometimes we do get nervous, but we’ll always have each other.”
Boyd said her and Byjos did not think about having to win two sets in a row after dropping the first one. Last year’s fourth-place state duo just thought about winning each point.
“That’s how we usually play,” Boyd said. “Just one at a time, and we keep going, and going, and going. That’s how we wound up winning.”
Alanna Zawlocki and Jenny Krewer were the champs at No. 2 doubles for the Bison.
The No. 1 and No. 2 doubles matches were the final matches of the night, and provided an opportunity for the Vikings to really distance themselves from the Bison.
“We could’ve put a big lead on them,” Fremd coach Bob Hanson said. “We let them back in tonight. We got three out of the five, and we’re happy with that. Anytime you can go into Saturday with a lead, that’s good. We’ve led before. We’ve been behind before.”
The Vikings turn their attention to today’s singles matches, which begin at 8:30 a.m.
“Our singles will do the talking (today),” Hanson said. “That’s really what we’re most confident in.”