We travel up north for a two day affair of girls state tennis. We begin in the class 1A doubles semifinal round with Benet’s Kendall Schrader and Kaitlyn Lee facing off against Amaya Fernandes & Abby Totten from Normal University.
1A Doubles Semifinals
After the wings took the first set 6-1, they start the 2nd with power at Schrader at the net gets the smash for the point.
But the normal dou isn’t ready for their season to end just yet. They play quick at the net for the point, throwing benet off their footing.
This rally is just unreal, and very fast. All four girls getting in on the rally before Normal makes some quick moves at the net to take the second set cleanly, 6-0.
To the third and final set. Normal U getting up at the net for the quick reaction but Schrader is quicker as she moves the back line and then Lee at the net gets the right positioning for the point. You can literally hear Schraders excitement.
On match point for the redwings, it’s another longer rally. Whoever wins this goes to the championship match Lee and Schrader play as a team, making the smart hits in order to capture the 6-2 victory. They move on to the 1A doubles championship match.
1A Singles Consolation Quarterfinals
We stay with 1A and move to singles as Daniella Nenadovich competes in the consolation quarterfinals against Timothy Chistian’s Cassandra Lee.
Lee off to a hot start too as she grabs the ace right down the middle.
But Nenadovich gets the point right back off the receive of the serve, she positions her raquet just so for the point. She takes the first set 6-3.
In to the second set and the redwing shows off her constitancy. She just keeps working the forehand until eventually, she finds success for the pont.
Nenadovich’s serves aren’t to be messed with either as she sends that one with fire to take the two set victory 6-3, 6-1. The Redwing would end with 6th place in the tournament, falling to Mia Bertino from Joliet Catholic.
2A Singles Fifth Place Match
On to the final day of state tennis and we jump up to 2A action now with Naperville Central’s Jacquilyne Qi competing in the fifth place match against Autumn Rabjohns of Lake Forest.
After Rabjons took the first set, she continues that dominance early in the second, forcing the error on Qi to gain the early advantage.
Little bit of a longer rally, both girls working the back line. After a few back and forth hits they approach the net and Qi gets the best of it as the ball goes right past Autumn for the point.
Qi battling as best she can, playing down a few points in the second set but Rabjohns just wears her down near the back line, forcing Qi to hit it in to the net. Lake Forest’s Autumn Rabjohn’s takes 5th place with a 6-2, 6-2. Victory.
1A Doubles Championship Match
We pick things back up in 1A with Kendall Schrader and Kaitlyn Lee battling in the championship match against Chicago University’s Isabella Kellemeier and Emilee Pak. After splitting the first set twos, we go to the third where Schrader starts the wings off on the right foot.
Longer rally a few points later Schrader goes for the attack but CU is able to get it back over, Schrader makes another quick move with a high raquet that results in CU hitting it out… and again, just listen to those redwings yell.
Chicago University sticking with the dou though. Schrader serving and it doesn’t take long for their opponents to find the space to keep themselves in it.
Another back and forth rally near the back line and Kendall sends a hard shot just kissing the line to push the wings back in to the lead.
Benet can taste the state title, it’s so close… and then it becomes theirs off of a service error from Chicago University. Kaitlyn Lee and Kendall Schrader become the first doubles pair in Benet Tennis history to bring home the state title 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. That victory also helps Benet take home the second place team title in 1A with 31 points.
Check out how these teams got to state in our Girls Sports Highlights!
