Members of the Skaneateles girls tennis team would make their way to Syracuse University’s Skytop Courts last Tuesday to take part in the Section III Class C tournament.
Only the top four finishers in singles and doubles play would advance to the sectional state qualifier, and the Lakers’ doubles team of Lily Datz and Rachel Feeney would make it that far.
Starting out as the no. 4 seed, Datz and Feeney had to survive a tough round-of-16 battle with Westhill’s Cami Cortez and Zoe Hynes, prevailing 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.
From there, the Skaneateles pair went to the quarterfinals, where in straight sets Datz and Feeney beat Haidyn Hawkes and Lydia Houser (Lowville) 6-4, 6-4 to guarantee its state qualifier berth.
That made a 6-1, 6-1 defeat to CBA’s Grace Coyne and Mikayla Santulli in the semifinals a bit easier to take as Coyne and Santulli went on to beat Cazenovia’s Laura Connor and Julie Silverman 6-3, 7-5 in the finals.
Earlier in the tournament, Melissa Biver and Caroline Hagen rallied in the round of 16 past Kacey Cashel and Crystal VanOrnam (Canastota) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 before a 6-0, 6-0 quarterfinal defeat to Connor and Silverman.
Isabella Kroon and Brinley Walawender won, 8-5, over Skyler Donley and Logan Hood (Canastota) before a 6-0, 6-2 loss to Coyne and Santulli.
Over in the Division III sectional singles tournament, Skaneateles had Emma Miller win her round of 16 match over Lowville’s Maria Young 6-1, 6-1, only to take a 7-5, 6-2 quarterfinal defeat to CBA’s Grace DelPino.
Hope Allyn and Ella Danforth were in the same quarter of the singles bracket. Danforth dropped an 8-6 opening-round match to Cazneovia’s Julia Barrett and Allyn, in the next round, fell to Westhill’s Kaleigh Danaher 6-2, 6-2.
Datz and Feeney will start play in the state qualifier Tuesday at Drumlins, with the finals on Thursday. Only the top three singles players and doubles teams advance to the Oct. 27-29 state championships at Tri-City Tennis in Latham, near Albany.
