Girls tennis: Wheaton Academy claims Class 1A sectional championship

When players gathered Saturday for the semifinals of the Class 1A St. Francis girls tennis sectional in Wheaton, their tickets to state had already been punched thanks to their play in the first three rounds held Friday.

That didn't diminish the intensity of the semifinals and the finals. When the last backhand was hit, Wheaton Academy was team champion and sending a singles player and doubles duo to the state meet that begins Thursday at several Northwest suburban sites.

Warriors coach Heather Green expressed confidence that her team can enjoy success at the competition.

"We were 12th last year and 10th the year before. We look so strong. We played better as the season went on. We played tough, hard tennis," Green said.

The Warriors finished with 27 points followed by Joliet Catholic Academy with 20, Lemont with 19 and St. Francis with 18. The Spartans also advanced a singles player and a double pair.

All from St. Francis and Wheaton Academy are making return trips to state competition.

Wheaton Academy sophomore Carly Chan and St. Francis senior Gina Vale will play another week. They started Saturday with a marathon semifinal match about 2 hours, 30 minutes in length that Chan won 6-1, 6-7, 6-1. The two played a similar match a couple of weeks before during a dual meet.

"Both matches had a third tiebreaker. Gina is a terrific player. We play at the same club in the off-season," Chan said.

Vale is eager to make the most of her shot at the state meet. She is a three-time qualifier.

"I'm very excited. This is my last run at state and I want to make the most of it," Vale said.

She said how the semifinal match with Chan unfolded didn't surprise her.

"We can't do it (play a short match)," she joked. "But it's so much fun to play her. It's always competitive."

Chan finished second in singles. Vale was fourth.

Both the St. Francis and Wheaton Academy doubles teams each returned a player that had a long run at state in doubles last season with a teammate now graduated.

The Warriors' Ellie Howland was paired this fall with Olivia Hamm, who reached state last season in singles.

The two won the doubles sectional title with a victory over Marnie Kopec and Jane Price of St. Francis, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

"We've been best friends since middle school, and when we got to high school it was a dream to play together," Hamm said.

As for St. Francis, Price said that with the new pairing, the Spartans' duo needed some time.

"It took a while to connect, but then we started to click," she said.

And what is the key for continued success this week at state?

"We just need to keep each other mentally tough and focused and played relaxed," Kopec said.