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Girls tennis: St. Charles North stays hot, downs Geneva

Shreya Gustafson and Tatum Settelmyer were coming off a defining moment for the St. Charles North girls tennis team.

The second doubles partners were fresh from leading the North Stars to the 16-team Bloomington Invitational championship last weekend by claiming the No. 2 victory as well.

"That was a really nice win for us," Gustafson said of the downstate triumph. "That was also a big moment for the team."

Gustafson and Settelmyer outlasted Jazmine Hernandez and Teagan King in their straight sets victory Thursday afternoon in St. Charles in pacing the North Stars to a 6-1 DuKane Conference dual victory over Geneva.

The North Stars (2-1, 1-1) are back to level in the league in dropping the Vikings to 3-9, 0-2.

Gustafson and Settelmyer eased past their Geneva counterparts in a first-set tiebreaker and also captured an equally tight second set to win 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.

"(We were) sticking together and being aggressive (in the tiebreaker)," Gustafson said. "I am really excited for this year."

Until the final match played out at fourth doubles, St. Charles North did not drop a set.

The North Stars' top two singles players, junior McKenna Lievrouw and sophomore Dani Giacopelli, won by a combined score of 24-11.

Lievrouw ended a competitive match with Geneva senior Alex Cappelli with an overhead winner to secure the 6-4, 6-4 triumph.

"It was a hard match, but I just had to keep up my consistency with the ball and take my chances," Lievrouw said. "I have had a few rough spots (this season), but I think I am getting a lot better."

Giacopelli had a much more scientific approach in dropping only 3 games.

"I have to analyze some of their weaknesses and then I shoot for them," Giacopelli said of her tactics. "I think I played overall really well. I had a few unforced errors but overall was just working my opponent across the court. It turned out well for me."

St. Charles North mathematically clinched the victory with its opening four victories.

Jessica Alber won by identical set scores of 6-1 at third singles for the North Stars.

In the first doubles matchup between the schools, St. Charles North partners Leia Papanicholas and Claire Kloberdanz continued the trend of matches being terminated in quick fashion.

A junior and senior, respectively, Papanicholas and Kloberdanz were never broken on the service line in securing the 6-2 and 6-1 victory.

Meghan Lu and Ava Victor were flawless for the North Stars at third doubles with their love-love triumph.

Lulu King and Sydney Soeder averted a complete sweep for Geneva by prevailing in a three-set thriller, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2 and 7-5 over the North Stars' Parker Holland and Maggie Mills.

"It was just staying in our heads and thinking about anything other than the game (at hand)," King said of the difference. "We just really stuck together and wanted to win."

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