Girls tennis: Northwest state tournament preview
Girls tennis state tournament preview
Where: Various sites throughout Northwest suburbs; tournament central at Prospect
When: Thursday-Saturday
Team outlook: Barrington again has a shot to finish amongst the best in the state. In each of Fillies coach Tracy Waters' three seasons, Barrington has finished somewhere in the top six. It took third in 2004 and second in 2005. If the doubles team of Kelsey Linden and Kristy Dodge can contend for state as expected, Alli Linden can live up to her seed in singles and Barrington can get a few wins from Meg Crowley in singles and the doubles team of Sonam Jaglan and Dana Pierce, the Fillies should be right there again.
SINGLES OUTLOOK: Fremd junior Jenna Langhorst has taken a step at state in each of her first two high school seasons. After a top-12 finish as a freshman and ninth place last season, Langhorst plans to be in the top six now.
Alli Linden could also be in the mix somewhere in the state's top 20. Linden was dominant at the Rolling Meadows sectional and finished second to only Langhorst at the Mid-Suburban League tournament.
Other area singles qualifiers include Buffalo Grove freshman Nell Boyd and senior Jen Immen, Meg Crowley, Prospect sophomore Anne Duggan and St. Viator junior Jackie Marx.
DOUBLES OUTLOOK: Kristy Dodge and Kelsey Linden could bring Barrington its second state doubles title in three years. Linden won as a sophomore with Whitney Martin in 2005. Dodge and Linden have lost once this season and that was in a three-set tiebreaker to last year's state champion - Hinsdale Central's Courtney Dolehide and Nida Hamilton. Dodge's game is one of consistency and solid baseline play. Linden's strength is at the net. With Dodge setting her up, she can put almost anything away.
Other area state qualifiers include Sonam Jaglan and Dana Pierce, Prospect's Amy Varner and Becky Santiago, Rolling Meadows' Mary Clare Loughery and Jenny Velasquez, Buffalo Grove's Ashton Nisbet and Heather Nisbet and Fremd's Katie Dewarand Elizabeth Stephenson.
What they're saying: "They're ready to play. They complement each other so well. They have what it takes to be one of the top doubles team in the state." -- Barrington coach Tracy Waters on Kelsey Linden and Kristy Dodge
"We're going to play some pretty good teams at state. I know as long as we're playing our game we'll have no regrets." -- Prospect senior doubles player Amy Varner
"I don't really feel any pressure. I'm excited to play. I feel high school tennis is less stressful. At nationals, you know everyone you're playing is good. There, it's for rankings." -- Barrington freshman Kristy Dodge
-- Scott J. Powers