ONONDAGA COUNTY – October brings about the post-season for area high school girls tennis teams, two of which looked last week to inch closer to completing undefeated regular seasons
And they both did so, one in quite dramatic fashion.
Christian Brothers Academy traveled to Austin Park Thursday and, with one well-timed comeback in doubles, edged Skaneateles 4-3.
Not only did this clinch the OHSL Liberty National division regular-season title, it put an end to a 26-match win streak built by the Lakers and gave CBA’s veteran head coach, Rick Glowaki, his 200th career win.
It didn’t take long for the Brothers to earn a pair of singles points. Gieselle Vlassis shut out Kenna Ellis 6-0, 6-0, with Julia DelPino getting a 6-1, 6-3 decision over Isabelle Soderberg.
Skaneateles countered with Lily Miller topping Rowan Doyle 6-3, 6-3, but CBA got a doubles point when Lily Geneocco and Isabella Meade held off Sofia Cappoza and Rachel Hackler 6-4, 6-4.
Catching up, the Lakers had Kelsey Rutledge and Emma Whipple top Hana Kang and Allie Mancini 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), while a three-set drama had Bella Karpinski and Kate Kissel take a third-set tie-breaker on the way to edging Audrey Schaefer and Meredith Sommers 6-7 (7-5), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
It all turned on first doubles, where Aubrey Mills and Grace Catalno lost the first set to Ella Danforth and Sophia Soderberg 6-2 and trailed 5-2 in the second set.
Somehow, Mills and Catalano changed their tactics, claimed five straight games to win that set and, in the third set, took command to win 6-2. All told, Mills and Catalano won 11 of the last 13 games.
Before this, CBA had no trouble getting past Bishop Grimes 7-0 Monday, with several forfeited matches along with 6-0, 6-0 singles shutouts by Vlassis, DelPino and Doyle.
A day later, it was the Brothers handling Jordan-Elbridge by that same 7-0 margin, this time with Vlassis, DelPino and Doyle not allowing a game, as was the case in three of the four doubles matches.
One more tune-up before Skaneateles involved the Brothers topping Pulaski 7-0 with only four games dropped in six contested single-set matches to eight games.
Fayetteville-Manlius had comparatively little trouble in its task to stay undefeated. When challenged in last Tuesday’s rematch with Baldwinsville, the Hornets dropped a couple of matches, but still beat back the Bees 5-2.
Anna Manta and Angela Iskander each won 6-0, 6-1 matches over, respectively, Hannah Gould and Ella Tromblee, with Trisha Adavikolanu falling in two sets.
A pivotal doubles point was earned when Natalie Hugo and Maya McKenzie outlasted Audrey Benton and Julia Quinn 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 as the teams of Parisa Ahmed-Brooke Tester and Madison Chamberlain-Laura Scalzetti each won in two sets.
Then F-M blanked Henninger 7-0 on Thursday, with Manta and Iskander earning singles points alongside Jeannette Ward, who got a turn and beat Masturah Adams 6-1, 6-3.
Hugo paired with Brooke Tester, with Ava Abruzzese teaming with Maya McKenzie as they both won 6-0, 6-0 doubles matches, as did Chamberlain and Scalzetti. Ahmed and Caelan Murphy beat Lauren Cameron and Hser Nay Paw in a 6-0, 6-1 decision.
