It’s all Neuqua Valley in sectional finals
On the final day of the Oswego sectional on Saturday, the Neuqua Valley boys tennis team looked like a squad that’s finished in the top 10 at state the last two seasons and wants to take a further step up.
All of the Wildcats entries had their reservations for state confirmed after Friday’s quarterfinals and the team took home the team title after participating in all-Neuqua championship finals in both singles and doubles.
The sectional team champ finished first with room to spare, scoring 36 points and followed by the hosts (19), Plainfield South (14), Yorkville (10) and Oswego East (8).
“Our hope is to head there and do some damage. Our goal is to go higher than the last two seasons. How we place will depend on how we play and the draws we get,” Wildcats coach Trudy Bennorth said.
Neuqua was eighth in state last season and sixth in 2009. The three-day state meet begins Thursday at courts at and near tournament central, Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.
Saturday started on the tennis courts at Oswego High School, but about 90 minutes into the competition rain came and the meet was moved east down Ogden Avenue to the Rush-Copley Healthplex Fitness Center in Aurora.
Just more than 50 minutes later, play resumed with Neuqua doubles pair Patrick Carpio, a senior, and junior Michael Baiocchi taking on teammates Nick Anderson and Tyler Wall.
On the court next to them, junior Tim Worley was in the middle of a semifinal match against Plainfield South freshman Austin Russell.
The all-Neuqua doubles final went three sets, with Carpio/Baiocchi prevailing over Wall/Anderson, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Carpio/Baiocchi have been paired full-time only since the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division meet. Both said the adjustment wasn’t difficult.
“I think we’re playing well. We kind of complement each other,” Baiocchi said.
“We know each other and know how each one plays. We play in a lot of the same tournaments (in the off-season),” Carpio said.
Neither Anderson or Wall or in fact Carpio/Baiocchi were surprised the match went the full extent.
“They’re a good team,” Anderson said of Carpio/Baiocchi. “It’s a good thing they are on our team.”
And although qualifying for state was settled and the teammates did joke around at times and enjoy trying to beat their opponents and teammates across the net, Saturday’s championship matches had an air of intensity. A sectional title at singles or doubles, means a highter seed and a better chance at going as far as possible through the state meet.
“The more success we can get individually will help the team do better,” Wall said.
After the doubles match wrapped up, Worley prevailed over Plainfield South’s Russell in three sets, 5-7, 6-3 and 6-1. And very soon after, he was back on the court to face senior Wildcat Brian Glavin in the singles final. Glavin won 6-4, 6-3.
Glavin along with Baiocchi, Carpio and Wall were on Neuqua’s eighth-place squad in 2010. Glavin, like his teammates, want to make the most of his time at state. He said he’s been playing better of late since his focus went from doubles to singles play and he had to make the natural adjustment.
“Top 32 would be a nice goal,” he said.