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Girls tennis: Huntley, Jacobs enjoying productive seasons

Huntley girls tennis No. 1 singles player Alex Landman said this year's squad has something to prove.

"Last year we didn't do as well as we had hoped," she said. "This year we were determined to get off to a good start."

And the Red Raiders have done just that. Huntley was 15-2 overall in duals to start the week and sported a 5-1 mark in Fox Valley Conference play.

"A lot of the girls who were juniors last year have stepped up and taken charge," said Landman. "A lot of girls took lessons in the off-season and have been working on strategies."

Included in those 15 victories were triumphs over strong tennis programs such as Rockford Boylan, Andrew, St. Charles North, Dunlap, Metamora and Cary-Grove. Huntley also took third at the 14-team Lakes invite and longtime coach Barry Wells noted the 15-2 dual record is the highest winning percentage a Huntley boys or girls tennis team has achieved.

"The girls are mentally tough and consistent," said Wells. "We have good depth and everyone has played well this season."

Wells lauded the play and leadership of seniors Abbey Roeser, Becca Fishman and Sam Wyslak. Landman was 12-6 at the tough No. 1 singles position heading into the week. Roeser and Fishman were 14-5 at No. 1 doubles, while Wyslak and Kayley Roch were 18-3 at No. 2 doubles and were riding a nine-match winning streak.

Landman said another positive on the team is its chemistry. "I like the friendships I've developed on this team," she said. "A lot of us have been together since freshman year. We've grown together and grown relationships. It's a great group of girls that are working toward the same goals."

Wells said the results thus far have gone above and beyond. "I knew we were going to have a good team, but they have exceeded my expectations," he said. "We can't win the conference regular season after losing to Jacobs, but we still can finish as high as second if we finish the season strong, which would be the highest we have ever finished."

And beyond the conference finish, Wells said the Red Raiders have even higher goals. "It is our goal to send as many as possible to the state tournament and win our sectional," he said.

Jacobs update: And speaking of Jacobs, the Golden Eagles are enjoying yet another banner season under coach Jon Betts.

Jacobs was 19-1 overall to start the week and had a perfect 6-0 FVC record, which includes 4-3 wins over Prairie Ridge and Crystal Lake South and a victory over a strong Huntley team.

"With one of the youngest and least-experienced teams in the conference, we've been focusing a great deal on competitive maturity and managing stress on the court," Betts said. "Improvements in these areas as well as the growth we've seen strategically in our doubles play has played a central role in helping us find success against the conference's top schools.

Betts has been thrilled with the development of senior Katie Toomire. "Katie has continued to ben an aggressive player and a fierce competitor," he said. "She has really grown into a leadership role that has had a huge impact on her teammates."

The doubles team of sophomores Brianna Japkowski and Ramya Nissankula also have taken steps forward after recording wins against Crystal Lake South and Prairie Ridge at the No. 3 doubles position.

Other key wins for the Golden Eagles this season include Haley Steinkamp's victory over Elgin standout Marta Krakowski and Toomire and Kylie Skepnek's victory over Fremd in a No. 1 doubles bout.

"Our players have done well thus far," said Betts. "It has taken contributions and clutch performances from every spot in the lineup to knock off the top FVC schools, but we understand we haven't had a day when we've fully put it all together. We're excited about the future because our young team continues to grow and develop and competitors and knows that when we're all finally clicking, we'll be a tough team to beat."

St. Charles East update: The Saints' doubles team of Olivia Gapuz and Katie McCarthy teamed together to win the No. 1 doubles position at the recent Crystal Lake Central invitational. They are the Saints' normal first and second singles players. The duo scored wins over previous state qualifiers from Warren and Belvidere North.

"Our doubles play has continued to grow and with Olivia and Katie stepping in to fill that No. 1 doubles spot, it only makes the rest of the lineup stronger," said Saints coach Matt Bulman.

St. Charles East also has benefited from the strong play at No. 3 singles from junior Reema Dhar and Hannah Mack. "Both girls have given us an easy win almost every match and helped us to earn as many team wins as possible," said Bulman.

Freshmen Elena Melone and Jamie McDermott won the No. 4 doubles title at Crystal Lake Central. Buhlman also lauded the efforts of the doubles duo of Michelle Navid and Maggie Petrov, who along with Gapuz and McCarthy will contend for berths in the state tournament. Gapuz and McCarthy were 8-1 together to start the week (loss to Libertyville in 3 sets). Navid and Petrov were 9-5 with three losses to Top 8 doubles teams in the state and two losses to Geneva and Batavia with big wins against Fenwick and Lake Zurich.

Despite tough 4-3 losses to Batavia and Geneva, the Saints still are in the running for the Upstate Eight River title. "All the Tri-Cities teams will be vying for the title and it will come down to who plays better those two days. We all are evenly matched," said Bulman.

Batavia update: The Bulldogs were atop the UEC River Division at 3-0 to start the week and were 11-3-2 overall in duals. Batavia owns key conference wins over St. Charles North (5-2) and St. Charles East (4-3) and also won the Pekin tournament and took second at the 8-team Oswego invitational.

The No. 1 doubles team of senior Maddie Rea and freshman Madison Ostrander was 19-3 to start the week, while No. 1 singles player Julianne Robinson took second at Pekin and Oswego and was 14-9 to start the week. Freshman Maddie Durso (16-6 at No. 2 singles) won the Pekin tournament, while the No. 3 doubles team of Parvathi Swaminathan and Megan Granberg was 13-1 to start the week.

"The girls have been improving their net play and consistency," said Batavia coach Brad Nelson. "I am pleased with the development of the five freshmen on the varsity. They all have contributed to the success of our team."

Batavia has been bolstered in recent weeks, in particular, by the play of the doubles teams of Rea-Ostrander, Swaminathan/Granberg and Sam Fossali and Morgan Steinys (another freshman). Those three pairings went a combined 16-2 over a two-week run.

"Lots of hard work and the infusion of a talented freshman class have been the reasons for our improvement," said Nelson, whose team was 10-10 last year.

Cary-Grove update: Bethany Marshall was 11-4 overall and 6-1 in FVC play at No. 1 singles. Marshall recently defeated Jacobs' Steinkamp 6-4, 6-3 and also holds a 6-2, 6-4 win against Crystal Lake Central's Jane Johnsey. "Bethany is focused and always works hard," said Cary-Grove coach Laurie Bender.

The Trojans also have received boosts from Katie Klawitter and Sanjana Rao at No. 1 doubles. "They have been great players and leaders for our team," said Bender.

Paige Schultz and Elizabeth Barrett also have excelled at No. 2 doubles and took second at the recent Cary-Grove invitational.

At that same invite, Kaitlin Warner and Sarah Schultz were first at No. 3 doubles. It was their first time playing as a team.

Elgin Academy update: The Hilltoppers (8-5 to start the week) won the recent Larkin invitational where Michelle Peyton and Caitlin Sharma won the No. 1 doubles title and Stephanie Pierson and Sharene Gould-Dulabaum took the No. 2 doubles title.

"Our doubles play has been very sharp," said Academy coach Greg Repede.

Pierson also plays No. 1 singles. "Stephanie has had some strong matches," Repede added.

Peyton and Sharma were 9-3 at No. 1 doubles to start the week. "I'm really pleased with our players' efforts and pleasantly surprised by our record," said Repede.

Streamwood update: Junior Emily Jaramillo took third at No. 1 singles at the recent Larkin invite, while Kim Gonzalez also has shown continued improvement. "Emily and Kim have showed a desire and dedication to improve their games," said Streamwood coach Kristina Sawyer. "Even when faced with tough opponents at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, they go out and give it their best and stick with it every point."

As a whole, Sawyer has seen plenty of progress this season. "I'm impressed with the improvement of our team from the beginning of the season," she said. "I am excited to see these girls back in the coming seasons and be able to grow the team and the program at Streamwood. We've faced a lot of tough opponents, especially for such a new team, but the girls always have a positive attitude and go out there and have fun."

Hampshire update: The Whip-Purs recently won the Rockford East J-Hawk invitational.

Alexis Foster has performed well at No. 3 singles of late, scoring wins against Crystal Lake Central and Belvidere North. Katelyn Patthana at No. 1 singles recorded recent wins against Grayslake Central and Kaneland, while Laura Burkett scored a come-from-behind victory at No. 2 singles against Lakes (1-6, 6-2, 10-5 tiebreaker). Burkett also recorded a recent 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10-6) win against Kaneland.

"I am pleased with the team's perseverance and eagerness to improve its weaknesses at practices," said Hampshire coach Stephanie Sharpe. "We have played several quality teams the past couple weeks and it has been fun seeing my players handle the high level of play better each match. We have been able to match the pace of these excellent teams and are working on executing more effectively on game-determining points."

South Elgin update: South Elgin's Brianna Barconi recently won the Glenbard North quad, while Andrea Michel (sophomore) and Madison Waichunas (freshman) also have played well at No. 2 doubles. "Andrea and Madison have been aggressive at the net," said South Elgin coach Melissa Tuftedal. "Both of these young ladies have never played varsity before."

Elgin update: The Maroons finished second at the recent Larkin invitational on a tiebreaker. Maroons standout Marta Krakowski was first at Larkin and scored a win over St. Charles North state qualifier Shelby Thomas.

Stephanie Sixtos and Nataly Ramirez, who had never played together, finished second at No. 2 doubles. "Stephanie and Nataly have stepped up lately," said Elgin coach Phet Rattana. "They've both improved since the beginning of the year."

Overall, Rattana has seen plenty of progress since the beginning of the season. "I've been pleased with how we have competed," said Rattana. "I know our record doesn't show it, but I'm proud of how my girls get out there and battle every time. The girls are competing and that's all I ask for Half my team is brand-new and has never played varsity tennis before. I'm excited for the experience they gained this year and what they could bring in the future."

West Aurora update: The Blackhawks were 10-5 overall and 3-0 in UEC Valley Division play to start the week.

West Aurora recently took second at the Lockport invitational where Liz Stefancic took first individually. Sarah Love and Teryn Griffin also have been improving in doubles play.

"Our doubles teams are working better together and are moving better on the court," said West Aurora coach Bruce Fraser.

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