Western Albemarle’s girls tennis team is headed back to the Group 3A state final, and the Warriors had to beat a familiar foe to get there.
In a rematch of last year’s state championship match, Western Albemarle beat York High 5-2 to earn a berth in the state final.
Saturday in the championship at 1 p.m. at Liberty University, the Warriors will get another rematch, this against Cave Spring who beat the Warriors in the region final.
Against York, the Warriors’ bottom four spots on the singles ladder did the heavy lifting, with Hannah Kearns, Savanah Diamond, Rosy Ix and Noelle Stith winning their matches. Maddy Ix and Stephanie Barton fell at the top two spots, but Ix took York’s Gaby Tersigni to the brink in the No. 1 slot before falling 7-6(3), 6-3.
That 4-2 lead out of singles left Western just one win away from a state final and Kearns and Rosy Ix got the job done with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 2 doubles.
“I’m so proud of this team, and how they have fought so hard to get back to this spot once again,” said Western coach Ellen Markowitz. “Every year is different, and every team is different, and we are excited and hungry for this opportunity.”
Western 5, York 2
Singles
1. Gaby Tersigni (YHS) d. Maddy Ix (WAHS) 7-6 (3), 6-3
2. Kristin Dantzler (YHS) d. Stephanie Barton (WAHS), 6-3, 6-1
3. Hannah Kearns (WAHS) d. Sydney Kochan (YHS), 6-1, 6-0
4. Savannah Diamond (WAHS) d. Haruna Fukushima (YHS), 6-1, 6-1
5. Rosy Ix (WAHS) d. Casey Jutras (YHS), 6-1, 6-3
6. Noelle Stith (WAHS) d. Julie Zhou (YHS), 6-3, 6-0
Doubles
1. Tersigni/Dantzler (YHS) leading Ix, M./Barton 3-4, DNF
2. Kearns/Ix R. (WAHS) def. Kochan/Jutras (YHS), 6-2, 6-0
3. Diamond/Anna O’Shea (WAHS) leading Fukushima/Zhou (YHS), 6-3, DNF
