A regular-season title in the OHSL Liberty National division just eluded the Cazenovia girls tennis team, who could not overcome the deficit it created when it lost Sept. 21 to Skaneateles.
In its next match, the Lakers found another tough challenge, from Marcellus, but got through it, defeating the Mustangs 4-3.
Amid a singles sweep, Alex Galle handled Kathleen DeMarie 6-1, 6-3, while Laura Connor got past Danielle Copp 6-3, 6-0. Emma Dolbear had a 6-3, 6-1 win over Sophia Shaw.
Needing just one point in doubles, Cazenovia earned it when Abby Burrell and Charley Harris claimed a 6-1, 7-5 decision over Elaina Mahoney and Megan Mitchell.
Otherwise, Kaitlyn Puffer and Nina Royer lost, 6-3, 6-2, to Kaitlyn Kemp and Morgan Walsh, with Nova Berger and Ella Koch falling to Colleen Marsh and Maddie Vetsch 6-3, 7-5. Claire Douglas and Baylee Pierce lost to Casey Conklin and Isabelle Demeis 6-1, 6-0.
This proved the last stop before the Lakers began play Friday in the Section III Class C team tournament, and in last Friday’s opening round the no. 6 seed Lakers shut out no. 11 seed Beaver River 5-0.
All of the matches were decided in straight sets as, in singles, Galle blanked Caitlyn Woodward 6-0, 6-0, with Connor getting past Emily Beck 6-3, 6-4 and Burrell taking a singles turn with her own 6-3, 6-4 win over Skylar Schmitt.
Dolbear got to play doubles with Charley Harris and won, 6-1, 6-2, over Hope McIntosh and Delaney VanNest, with Puffer and Royer pairing up to stop Candice Cardinal and McKenna Mahoney 6-3, 6-1.
And as it turned out, this earned Cazenovia another shot at Skaneateles, who was the no. 3 seed, in the quarterfinals, with the winner to get to the semifinals against Canastota or Marcellus.
Chittenango made it to the sectional Class B tournament as the no. 9 seed and prevailed in a 4-3 opening-round thriller over no. 8 seed Cortland.
In the pivotal singles match, the Bears’ Delaney Dawkins was forced into a third-set tie-breaker with the Purple Tigers’ Lindsey Bush, but won it 6-1, 3-6, 7-6.
Riley Ellis and Sarah Lanphear making their own timely comeback to beat Malena Darling and Lily Devlen 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Brooke DiFlorio beat Jennifer Baker 6-3, 6-4. Abbie Austin and Keelin Davie won, 7-6, 6-3, over McKenna Morris and Merrill Storch,
Anna Rooney lost her own third-set tie-breaker in a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 defeat to Lexi Zacek, while in doubles Shelby Maring and Brenna Stanton lost to Pearl Hettich and Kayci Olson 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Chloe Foran and Katie Simmons lost, 6-2, 7-6, to Juila Guest and Sadie Urtz.
All this did for the Bears was put it in the sectional quarterfinals against top seed Oneida, with the winner advancing to the semifinals against Homer or South Jefferson.
