On Tuesday evening, the number three seed Chillicothe girls tennis team traveled to the number two seed Maryville for a district semi-final match, just like last year. Chillicothe came out strong with a quick 30-minute doubles #1 win from Lexy Smith and Lydia Bonderer. However, Maryville tied it up at 1-1 not long after once they secured the #3 doubles match. The #2 doubles match lasted twice as long as Isabel Nagel and Anya Moore fought tooth and nail to battle back against Maryville’s number one player and returning state qualifier Quinlin who was paired with the #5 for doubles. Even though they were down by four games at one point, they brought the match back to 6-7 until dropping Quinlin’s service to just barely lose the hard-fought match.
In the meantime, senior Bonderer had already finished half her singles match in dominant fashion as she has all season, and she wrapped up not much longer, bringing the team score to 2-2. Then, all five other singles matches took another hour or more each in very close, back-and-forth duece matches on every court. Jocelynn Albrecht played her heart out, taking the first set, dropping the second set, and staying within one point of the entire tiebreak until sadly losing by just two points. Freshman London Douglas also showed incredible grit for the newcomer as she battled neck and neck with a veteran Maryville player until eventually dropping her two sets, moving the team score to 2-4. The other three Chillicothe ladies were all down a set on their courts as well, but all were battling back in the second set trying to extend the night and their season. They were having great second sets that may have led to a championship tiebreak also, but senior veteran state qualifier Quinlin once again came up clutch and won her singles match. Chillicothe, therefore, lost 2-5 on the night while not finishing the last two singles matches.
While Smith and Bonderer’s season will continue at the state doubles championship tournament next weekend, Chillicothe’s team season comes to an end at 10-5 overall and third in the conference and district. Results were as follows:
Doubles:
Lexy Smith & Lydia Bonderer beat Deering & Kain 8-0
Isabel Nagel & Anya Moore lost to Quinlin & Chloupek 6-8
Jocelynn Albrecht & Halle Gabrielson lost to Gallagher & Baker 3-8
Singles:
Smith lost to Quinlin 5-7, 0-6
Nagel did not finish her match with Deering 5-7, mid second set
Bonderer beat Kain 6-0, 6-2
Moore did not finish her match with Gallagher 4-6, 4-4
London Douglas lost to Chloupek 3-6, 2-6
Jocelynn Albrecht lost to Johnson 6-2, 3-6, TB10-12