It’s time for an IHSA Badminton Sectional at Naperville Central, as the host Redhawks welcome Metea Valley, Chicago Kelly, West Chicago, Wheaton South, and Willowbrook. Metea won a sectional in 2024, with Central finishing just behind in second. The top four finishers in doubles and singles move on to the State meet. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Naperville Central and Metea Valley begin the IHSA Badminton sectional in doubles
Let’s start with doubles and a semifinal matchup between Central’s Yinuo Zhang (Jr.) and Shriya Kunnanath (Jr.) against Metea’s Devangi Kohli (Jr.) & Aditi Singh (Jr.).
Singh begins the night by returning this serve to a spot that no Redhawk can get to. Metea takes game one 21-15.
Central responds in game two. Zhang serves, and on the second time around, she paints the line for a Redhawk point. Central takes the second game 21-19, and we head to a deciding third.
The game goes to a tiebreaker, where Metea Valley pulls away to win it 23-21. After Kohli serves, Singh jumps for a high-arcing shot that lands for the point! They move on to the doubles final and secure a spot at state!
Let’s head to the consolation semifinals between Metea’s Moneesha Goduguchinta (Sr.) and Saanvi Gupta (Jr.), and Central’s Sihan He (Fr.) and Hannah Chu (Jr.). The winner gets a spot at state and moves on to the third-place matchup.
Central serves to Goduguchinta, and the Mustang Senior hits a rocket that the Redhawks can’t control.
Then, Goduguchinta serves, and Gupta hits an arcing backhand shot that just goes over the net. Metea takes the first game 21-13.
Central answers back in game two, as He returns this serve into the back corner for a point!
He does it again for the Redhawks, this time returning the serve to the back left corner! Central takes game two, 21-17.
In the third game, a long rally breaks out, with everyone working around the court and fighting for a spot at the state meet. Goduguchinta hits one strong, and Central can’t get to it. It helps Metea to a 21-14 game three win, and they earn a spot at the state meet!
West Chicago and Willowbrook secure spots at state, and more Mustangs qualify
West Chicago’s Yazmin Castro Mora (Sr.) & Noelia Vargas (Sr.) took on Central’s Zhang and Kunnananth and defeated them in three games in the consolation semis. They would fall to Metea’s Goduguchinta and Gupta in the third-place matchup, but the West Chicago duo is still headed to state!
Let’s wrap up doubles with the sectional final, as both sides have already locked up spots at state. Kohli and Singh take on Willorbrooks, Hannah Daly (Sr.), and Maisie Thompson (Jr.). The Warrior duo defeated Goduguchinta and Gupta in the semis in a three-game thriller!
Singh serves, and Kohli hits it across again before Singh goes full extension for a back-line point! A great hit from the Mustang.
On the next rally, Kohli is ready for the fiery return, smacking it home for a point. Metea takes the first game 21-15.
We keep it going in game two, Thompson plays it short, and Singh shows off the great effort, but it leaves the court open for Daly, and the Warrior scores a point.
Daly and Thompson switch from the front to the back, and Daly moves around for another Willowbrook score.
The Mustangs look to close it out in two games, and Singh does a nice job calling off Kohli, with the Mustang junior putting it down the middle. Metea wins game two 21-18 for the Sectional title.
Zoey Tian looks to defend her IHSA Badminton Sectional title in singles
Moving over to singles and the semifinals matchup of Central’s Zoey Tian (So.) against Wheaton Warrenville South’s Greta Gedritis (Sr.).
Tian won the singles portion of last year’s sectional at Metea, and the sophomore opens the semifinals on a great note with this point.
Gedritis now serves, after a couple of hits, the Tiger plays it long, and it sets up a great play short for the point. Tian still cruises to victory, winning both games 21-9, 21-7. Gedritis would win her consultation semifinal, meaning she will compete at the state meet next weekend!
Redhawk Megan Moreno takes on Metea Valley’s Pragya Iyer
Moving along to the other singles semifinal of Redhawk Megan Moreno (Sr.), taking on Metea Valley’s Pragya Iyer (Jr.).
The Mustang serves in, as Moreno plays from the back. The Redhawk gets the birdie to drop right behind the net for the opening point.
On the very next serve, Moreno puts it right into the corner for an ace! The Redhawk takes a close first game, 21-18.
Iyer sends it in, and a longer rally breaks out between the two sides. Iyer backs up and jumps for an acrobatic hit, getting it to fall right over the net! The Mustang takes the second game 21-10.
After falling in the opening game, Iyer does well in the final two. She secures the point here and wins the deciding third game, 21-7, for a spot in the final.
Moreno falls in the semifinal, but shines here in the consolation semi against Willowbrook’s Abigail Schnittker (Sr.), taking it 21-17, 21-19. The Redhawk defeats Gedritis in the third-place matchup and will head to state!
Tian defeats Iyer in the Singles final, and Metea Valley wins the IHSA Badminton Sectional at Naperville Central
Let’s close out the evening with the singles final between Central’s Tian and Iyer, the Mustang, a rematch of last year’s Metea Valley Sectional Final!
Tian is looking for her second sectional title in two years, and just watch the sophomore on this rally! She caps it off with an acrobatic hit, sending the birdie across the court for the point.
The Mustang junior gets to work and responds. The two go back and forth before Iyer backs up and sends one to her right and over the net for a point!
Tian serves, and then goes high before showing off her quick reflexes! It forces the Mustang into the net, and the Redhawk takes game one, 21-9.
Looking to close it out in game two, Tian fully extends to keep it alive, and then sends a beauty short for the match winner. The Redhawk wins game two 21-7 for her second straight sectional title!
It was a battle between Central and Metea for the Team Sectional title, but the Mustangs (14.5) win it by two points over Central (12.5) and bow down to the Sectional plaque! Wheaton South and Willowbrook tie for third with seven points!
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
