Although Section V Girls’ Tennis is winding down, the action certainly isn’t. The most competitive matches of the season have entertained crowds over the past week or so.
Individual state qualifiers took place for both singles and doubles on Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th at Mendon Racquet Club. The Class A1, A2, B1, and B2 sectional winners along with runner-ups squared off for a spot in the NYSPHSAA State Championships that will be held October 28th-30th at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, the site of the US Open.
Sixteen players took the courts in the singles match ups. By Saturday afternoon, four players, all of whom were familiar faces at this event, were left to challenge one another for a spot in the finals.
Leyla Tozin (Brighton), Emily Miller (Victor), and Omika Patel (Pittsford Mendon) returned to square off in the singles semifinals along with Aiza Ahmed (Pittsford Mendon) who last year competed in the doubles bracket. Leyla Tozin won the event last year and ultimately placed third at the State Championship in 2023.
In the semifinals, Tozin defeated Ahmed (6-1, 6-0) while Miller defeated Patel (6-4, 6-3) setting up a familiar rematch from Class A1. Once again, Tozin was victorious by defeating Miller in the championship (6-1, 6-2). In the playback round, Patel defeated Ahmed (6-4, 6-2) to place third at the event. Tozin, Miller and Patel will advance to the state championship tournament.
Sixteen doubles teams competed for their opportunity to earn one of the four spots that will advance to the state championships. Ava Youngblut and Hazel Jokl (Honeoye Falls-Lima) advanced to play in the semi-finals on Saturday, as did Caroline Fitzsimmons and Jasmine Wu (Pittsford Sutherland), Ella Hall and Taylor Shoars (Brighton), and Alix Ivy and Abigail Mosher (Pittsford Mendon). Youngblut and Jokl defeated Hall and Shoars (6-2, 6-2) while Fitzsimmons and Wu defeated Ivy and Mosher after dropping the first set (5-7, 6-2, 6-3). The marathon match of the day occurred in finals between Fitzsimmons and Wu and Youngblut and Jokl lasting over two hours. Sutherland Coach Joe Thyroff stated “The match was incredible.” Youngblut and Jokl won in three very competitive and close sets (7-6(3), 5-7, 7-5). All four teams, Youngblut and Jokl, Fitzsimmons and Wu, Hall and Shoars, and Ivy and Mosher earned spots to compete at the State Championship tournament.
In team competition Class A1 Team Champions Brighton squared off against Class A2 Team Champions Pittsford Sutherland on Monday October 21st at Mendon Racquet Club. Class B1 Team Champions Honeoye Falls-Lima played Wellsville Senior High School, the Class B2 Champions.
In Class A action, Brighton swept the singles matches with Leyla Tozin defeating Shushu Wu (6-1, 6-0) while at 2nd singles Samantha Kotz defeated Jasmine Wu (7-5, 7-6(3). At third singles, Chandhana Ravi defeated Helena Lu (6-1, 6-0). In doubles action Sutherland’s Caroline Fitzsimmons and Alyssa Turner beat Brighton’s Ella Hall and Taylor Shoars (6-3, 7-6(4) while Sutherland’s Hannah Glanton and Emma Hu defeated Brighton’s Claire Nolan and Audrey Hoefen (6-1, 6-3). But Brighton’s other doubles team were victorious including Neila Mariano and Arundhati Burly who came back after losing their first set to defeat Galina Basovsky and Ella Libby in three sets 5-7, 6-1, 6-2. Brighton’s Raizel Glazer and Sara Solomon also lost their first set to Sutherland’s Olivia Vorrasi and Cristina Castillo but ultimately won their match 3-6, 6-0, 6-0. Brighton defeated Sutherland 5-2 and advanced to compete against Section VI’s Orchard Park on Friday October 25th at 4pm at Village Glen Tennis Center in Buffalo.
HFL was the victor over Wellsville, 5-0. Both Hazel Jokl and Ava Youngblut won their 1st and 2nd singles matches, while their teammates Mady Etter and Paige Moscicki at second doubles and Sarah Mclaughlin and Ella Stover at 3rd doubles beat Wellsville. Wellsville first doubles team withdrew from the competition. HFL will play Section VI’s Lewiston Porter on Friday October 25th at 6pm at Village Glen Tennis Center in Buffalo.
Hazel Jokl vs Samantha Bidzerkowny 6-2, 6-2
Ava Youngblut vs Hanna Miles 6-1, 6-1
Elliana Davis & Megan Charles vs Caitlin Bittel & Sarah Mattison – withdrew
Mady Etter & Paige Moscicki vs Peyton Cawley & Mckenna Wonderling 6-2, 6-4
Sarah Mclaughlin & Ella Stover vs Shayla Cowan & Jaiden Edwards 6-1, 6-1
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