By just a single match, Laura Lieflander and Rachel Pavlas missed a chance to give the Marcellus girls tennis team a representative at last weekend’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship tournament.
Pavlas and Lieflander made a valiant run on Oct. 29 at the Section III state qualifier at Eastside Racquet Club, taking fourth place in an event where just the top three finishers moved ahead.
To start with, Pavlas and Lieflander beat a duo from Marcellus, and they kept it up in the quarterfinals, coming from behind in a tight third set to beat Hannah Barley and Autumn McLain (Oneida) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
This led the Marcellus duo into the semifinals, where a win would put them in the state tournament. However, Oneida’s other duo, twin sisters Aubrey and Brianne Bobo, disposed of Lieflander and Pavlas 6-1, 6-2.
Now they had to win the consolation match, against Cara Yinger and Samantha Martin from Fayetteville-Manlius. They would go three sets, but Lieflander and Pavlas fell just short in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 decision.
Skaneateles had three entries in the state tournament.
Krissy Ryan lost her first-round singles match to Auburn’s Melissa Coughlin 6-1, 6-3, and the doubles team of Leigh Ryan and Alexa Campanile started fast, only to fall to Emily Norkett and Marissa Rotondo (CBA) 0-6, 6-4, 6-1.
