With an undefeated season and OHSL Liberty division regular-season title already in the books, the Skaneateles girls tennis team now wanted to add a Section III Class C championship during a whirlwind tournament week.
And it would all culminate Saturday afternoon at Mott Courts in Utica, where no. 2 seed Skaneateles would face no. 5 seed Cazenovia for the third time this season. But unlike those earlier encounters, it was Cazenovia getting the best of the battle, ending a long championship drought and prevailing by a 5-2 margin.
Skaneateles had won both regular-season matches with its Laker countersparts, but Cazenovia made it back for a third try by upending another undefeated opponent, top seed Sauquoit Valley, in its sectional semifinal. And each side got an extra day to rest and prepare thanks to Friday’s rainout.
In those earlier meetings, Skaneateles only needed three out of five points against Cazenovia, and got them with ease. But the sectional final involved earning four points out of seven, which played to Cazenovia’s advantage.
Skaneateles only got one singles point, from Angela Krause, who topped Ava Gurney, but even that was a 6-4, 7-5 battle. Olivia Gage struggled, though, in a 6-1, 6-0 defeat to Alex Galle, while Erica Byrne also lost in two sets, falling to Lucy Langan 6-2, 6-3.
Needing three points in doubles, Skaneateles managed just one of them, from Maura McNeil and Maddy Pinkney, who beat Anna Barrett and Brittany Wright 6-3, 6-1.
Cazenovia got a crucial point when Liz Belinski and Katelyn Ellison could not sustain their early success and, two games from victory, instead fell to the sister tandem of Laura and Lucy Connor 1-6, 7-5, 6-4. Mary McNeil and Bailey Parsons fell to Annaka Bruno and Bailey Parsons 7-5, 6-1, with Julia Torrisi and Rachel Feeney had a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Summer Steinhorst and Julia Barrett.
Given the no. 2 seed in Class C, the Lakers had a first-round bye in the 11-team bracket. Then it took on no. 7 seed Clinton in last Monday’s quarterfinal at Austin Park and proceeded to blank the Warriors 5-0.
Krause got it going with a 6-0, 6-1 romp over Clinton’s Lauren Hutchins in first singles. Gage didn’t take much longer earning a 6-0, 6-2 sweep over Caitlin Cherpak, with Byrne turning back Isabella Pento 6-2, 6-1 in third singles.
On the doubles side, the Lakers rolled, too, seeing Ellison and Belinski put away the Warriors’ tandem of Carly Sinclair and Sydney Pavlik 6-0, 6-1. In second doubles, it was much the same, Pinkney and Maura McNeil getting a 6-1, 6-1 win over Julia Smiegal and Kylie Trunfio.
This led to Wednesday’s semifinal against Manlius-Pebble Hill, who had risen from the no. 11 seed to surprise no. 6 seed Waterville and no. 3 seed Beaver River in the early rounds, but had lost 6-1 to Skaneateles in their regular-season meeting on Sept. 8.
Here, it was a bit closer, but the Lakers prevailed again, 5-2, concentrating its strength in doubles and winning all four of those matches.
Ellison and Belinski won a 6-3, 6-3 decision over Sophie Novak and Anna Szombatha, with Julia Torrisi and Rachel Feeney routing Meg Curtis and Amina Kilpatrick 6-2, 6-0. Parsons and Anna Ditch rolled past Marinna Cousins and Emily Leggat 6-1, 6-0, with McNeil and Pinkney going to a second-set tie-breaker, but still turning back Hannah Ebner and Lily Grenis 6-1, 7-6.
MPH made its stand in singles, where Skaneateles saw Gage lose, 6-2, 6-4, to Grace Walsh and Krause fall to Grace Del Pino 6-0, 6-4. Byrne earned the fifth point, though, with a 6-2, 6-2 sweep over Annie Weiss.
