For two days, the smack of tennis balls punctuated the sunny, windless skies, as eight high schools vied for the tournament trophy.
Kelsey DeFrancia, Grand County’s number one singles player, faced the biggest challenge in a very competitive field, losing to the well-honed strokes of Parawon’s top seed, 6-2, 6-1. Her second match against Manti was a nail biter. After losing the first set 4-6, she took control of the court in the second set, winning 6-3. But the third set slipped away, ending her season in the division’s toughest bracket.
In the number two singles slot, Emily Stock earned a first round bye due to her undefeated season. In her second round match, she easily defeated Millard 6-1, 6-3, breezing into the final match with Parowan, which proved more challenging. While Emily won the first set 6-0 with solid and consistent groundstrokes, the second set was a slugfest of backhands, forehands, and volleys ending in a 6-6 tie. The resulting tiebreak went back and forth, finally ending 8-6 in Grand County’s favor, earning her a first place medal.
Grand County’s Crystal O’Donnal, competing in the number three singles slot, cruised through her first round match against San Juan, 6-1, 6-0. Her second match against Parowan was much more difficult, but Crystal’s asserted her authority on the court with punishing ground strokes that carried her to a two-set victory (6-4, 7-5.) In the final, Crystal had a hard time finding her game in the first set, which she lost 6-3. After falling behind in the second set, she regained her stride and stroke, bringing the set to a tiebreak, which she narrowly lost, 7-5. Her second-place finish added to the GCHS tournament lead.
In their first match, the number one doubles team of Charlotte Welling and Sara Melo ran cold in the first set, losing 3-6, then began firing on all cylinders for the next to sets, winning 6-1, 6-3 against a tough Manti team. In their second round match, they surprised the undefeated San Juan duo in the first set, winning 6-1. San Juan’s experience showed in winning the second set. Charlotte and Sara’s resolve determined the third set, which they won 6-3. Their championship match against Richfield was equally tense, as they won the first set in a tiebreaker. Sensing gold, Charlotte and Sara stepped it up in the second set with surgical volleys that cut through Richfield’s defense, earning them a pair of first place medals.
The number two doubles team of freshman Alyssa Mulligan and senior Jenet Knowlton defeated a tenacious South Sevier duo in their first round, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, setting them up for a second round match-up against Richfield. They won the first set easily, 6-2, then went on a walkabout for the second set, losing 0-6 in the second set. This setback served to refocus their attention on the third set, which they dominated 6-2. In their championship match against a veteran Millard team, they lost a tiebreaker in the first set, which provided to be a pivotal turning point in the match. They lost the second set 6-1, yet scored second place in the tournament, sewing up the GHCS victory in the tournament.
“For a young team, what these girls did was amazing,” said Coach Anderson. “We’re losing Jenet next year, but everyone else is coming back, plus we’ve got lots of new talent on our junior varsity. Next season looks very promising.”