Just two victories were what ultimately separated the Skaneateles girls tennis doubles team of Ella Danforth and Emma Miller from advancing to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament.
Thanks to their strong finish in the Section III Division III tournament the week before, the Lakers’ pair earned a spot in the sectional state qualifier, which began last Tuesday at Drumlins, home of Syracuse University women’s tennis.
Unseeded going into the tournament, Danforth and Miller were quite impressive in the opening round against Watertown IHC’s Georgia and Josie Barton.
Taking the first set 6-1, Danforth and Miller went a bit longer in the second set, but still finished off the Barton sisters 6-2, advancing to the quarterfinals.
There, the Skaneateles pair met the no. 5 seed, Fayetteville-Manlius’ Rachel Liu and Keara Polovick, and it was the only quarterfinal to go to three sets.
Having lost the first set 6-4, Danforth and Miller rolled to a 6-2 victory in the second set. Yet it didn’t carry over as, in the final set, Liu and Polovick prevailed 6-3.
Liu and Polovick went on to a semifinals defeat to West Genesee’s Mikayla Mannara and Katie Viau, who won the qualifier and advanced to the state tournament this weekend in Latham with Oneida’s Sydney Lusher and Lauren Skibitski, plus Christian Brothers Academy’s Grace Coyne and Grace DelPino.
