Girls tennis: Lepsi sisters lead family affair at state finals
Sisters celebrated on Saturday.
Some with gold medals. Another with memories worth considerably more.
Wheaton Warrenville South senior Riley Lepsi and junior Reese Lepsi hugged tightly and swayed together as applause rang out at Buffalo Grove. The sisters had just secured their second straight Class 2A doubles championship at the girls tennis state tournament.
Libertyville senior Yuki Dogadalski, meanwhile, finished fourth in Class 2A singles, two years after teaming with older sister Lena to take third in state doubles.
Different courts. Different results.
Same family bonds.
The top-seeded Lepsis defeated Hinsdale Central juniors Sophia Virmani and Juliana Radonjic 6-2, 6-2, highlighting a sun-splashed final day that also featured New Trier's fourth consecutive Class 2A team championship and Deerfield's second straight Class 1A crown.
The Lepsis, fifth at state in 2024, have lost exactly once in three seasons together.
Once.
“We have an advantage as sisters playing doubles, because we can say things to each other that other partners can't,” a grinning Reese said.
Riley credited their improved court awareness.
“We elevated our tennis IQ this year,” she said. “When we play our game, we're unstoppable.”
Their coach, Patti Clousing, praised their aggressive volleys and tournament intensity.
“At this tournament, every year, they get a look in their eyes that's next level,” Clousing said. “It’s a, ‘We’re here to compete’ look.”
Dogadalski, a Bowling Green State University commit, fell 6-1, 6-1 to Oak Park-River Forest senior Lucy Stein in Saturday's third-place match.
A lingering back injury nearly prevented Dogadalski from competing this fall.
“She warned me, 'I might not be able to play this year,'” Libertyville coach Dan Kiernan recalled.
Dogadalski didn’t make her season debut until just before the North Suburban Conference meet.
Dogadalski persevered, reaching another state podium.
“I was so grateful each year to get to play here at state against such competitive players,” Dogadalski said.
“It was our idea,” she said of joining Lena, now a Lehigh University tennis player, in doubles in 2024. “We've always been close.”
She'll remember far more than finishes.
“It was more about the process of working hard to get here than it was hearing, ‘Oh you took third or you took fourth,” Dogadalski said.
New Trier totaled 37 points to win Class 2A, followed by Highland Park (27), Hinsdale Central (23), Wheaton Warrenville South (22), and Conant and Lyons Township (21 each).
“To earn a top-three trophy, with just two seeded entrants, was huge,” Hinsdale Central coach Shawna Zsinko said. “I’m proud of my team.”
Sandburg senior Estela Loureiro, the No. 2 seed, defeated New Trier senior Julia Ludwig 6-2, 6-3 for the Class 2A singles championship.
Maine South senior Emma Militaru and junior Kristina Nikolova defeated New Trier's Lily Hermann and Olivia Orlando 6-3, 6-4 for third in doubles, the Hawks' highest doubles finish since 2001.
Reunited as partners this fall, Militaru and Nikolova also won a sectional championship.
“We stopped worrying about who was on the other side of the net,” Nikolova said.
Stevenson's Emma Iwanowski and Klaudia Jaworski avenged a sectional final loss, defeating Highland Park's Gabrielle Gold and Aidan Stoltze 6-2, 6-3 for fifth.
“Our energy was up early, and we were locked in for the whole match,” Iwanowski said.
Jaworski, a junior, will miss more than her senior partner's volleys.
“I'll miss her sense of humor,” Jaworski said. “She made all of us laugh.”
Conant senior Nidhir Karekar and freshman Ella Kestner won five of seven state doubles matches.
In Class 1A, Deerfield finished with 32 points, ahead of Chicago University (20), Triad (19) and Lake Forest (17).
Woodlands Academy senior Courtney Croll rallied past Deerfield senior Caroline Shi 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 for the singles championship.
Hinsdale South's Addy Filipiak and Teodora Savic defeated Deerfield’s Maya Krasny and Shir Paz 6-0, 6-1 for the doubles crown. St. Francis' Elle Steffen finished sixth in singles.
For the Lepsis, Saturday ended with another championship.
And a sisterly embrace.
Two titles together.
One loss in three seasons.
Quite a family record.