Girls tennis: DuPage County doubles champions times two

Having won the Class 2A girls tennis doubles championship Saturday morning, Glenbard West's Sienna and Shannele Lopez went to watch Benet's Kendall Schrader and Kaitlyn Lee take the Class 1A doubles title.

In other words it was a big day for DuPage County tennis at the final day of the state tournament at Buffalo Grove.

Lopez and Lopez defeated Hinsdale Central's Zoe Limparis and Katie Dollens 6-2, 6-1 in the final. It was Glenbard West's first state tennis championship, girls or boys.

"It feels amazing," Sienna Lopez said. "I dreamed of this goal to happen ever since freshman year and I always wanted to win a state championship, with my sister too. It's been a blessing."

Sienna Lopez, a senior, went to Hilltoppers coach Kevin Graham this summer asking to play doubles this season with sophomore sister Shannele.

"I'm really glad that he allowed us to for my last season," Sienna Lopez said. "It means a lot to me because my sister means a lot to me. It will be my last year with her and I'm so glad I won the doubles championship with her for my last season, my last year, and I love her so much."

Those words brought out the emotions in Shannele Lopez.

"There are so many words that I can't even explain how much it means to me right now," Shannele Lopez said, finding it hard to get the words out. "State champs. It's been a journey. Honestly, during freshman year when I started, I didn't think I would get far whenever I would be playing state because there are a lot of great players here. And there's so much competition. But winning this with my sister has just been a blessing."

Graham admitted he was unsure of the idea.

"I was a little hesitant at first," he said. "You know, sisters playing doubles together, it doesn't always work. And so I wanted to make sure that it worked. ... They really proved that they were capable of doing what they did."

Lopez and Lopez not only finished the season unbeaten, they didn't lose a set all year.

Hinsdale Central not only placed second in doubles but took third also, with Sarah Badawi and Caroline Kotarski winning 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 over a team from Lake Forest.

Hinsdale Central placed second in the Class 2A team standings behind Lake Forest 39 points to 33. Glenbard West placed fourth with 18 points, and Naperville Central earned ninth place with 11 points. York, like Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central a member of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division, finished in a four-way tie for 10th place with 10 points.

Benet placed second in the Class 1A team standings with 31 points, just 2 behind first-place Chicago University High.

"That means the world," Lee said. "It's so cool."

Benet's Schrader and Lee finished 38-2 after they defeated a team from Chicago University 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the final.

"They're both amazing players, so they were very good competition," Lee said.

It was a long journey for Schrader, a senior who herniated a disc in her back before her freshman season, forcing her to miss that season and go 18 months between USTA matches while undergoing physical therapy and doing yoga to strengthen her back.

It didn't help that she reinjured her back during this season and had to take a few days off to recover.

"It was a long, tough fight, but I got back to it," said Schrader, whose twin brother, Casey, has state tennis title aspirations of his own for the spring. "It's insane. It's so exciting."