It’s the final week of the DVC badminton regular season, with Naperville North hosting Waubonsie Valley. Senior Night celebrations, hot dog costumes, this matchup has a little bit of everything. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Early doubles matches bring excitement to the courts
The Huskies look to remain undefeated in conference play against the Warriors. Starting in doubles, where Ruby Li and Michelle Wang from North take on Harshita Baskaran and Kari Dong from Waubonsie in the two doubles matchup.
You don’t see many aces in badminton, especially in doubles, but Baskaran puts her serve near the back line, and it lands down for the early point.
Another quick score for the Warriors, where Dong flips a return that skims across the top of the net and drops down for the point.
Late in the opening set, a rally ends with a point for the Huskies after a return stays in play near the back corner. North wins set one 21-11.
The second set is a competitive one, but eventually Li and Wang pull away and complete the two-set victory by a 21-17 score.
Over in three doubles, North freshman Erica Lin and teammate Kelly Hu square up against Akshaya Annem and Siya Deshmukh.
The Huskies have the edge with the match winding down, but Waubonsie continues to battle. Annem is involved early in the rally until Hu and Lin get in an extended volley with Deshmukh. A series of smash attempts is sent over by the Warrior, but Lin and Hu send it back every time. The players slowly burst into laughter as the marathon rally continues, until Hu finally pushes a shot to the back that the visitors are unable to return. North wins 21-6, 21-13.
Waubonsie Valley earns a win in one doubles
Wrapping up doubles with the number one spot, where Tisha Dubey and Vaishnavi Cheedepudi from Waubonsie take on Rakshita Ruparel and Paige Xu from North.
Xu serves in the far court, and a rally ensues. Ruparel with a backhand before Dubey goes for a drop shot. Xu lunges and somehow gets the birdie back over and down for the point. What a shot from the Huskie.
Later in the set, another furious rally goes back and forth until Cheedepudi lines the shot away across the court and down for the point. Waubonsie takes the first set 21-11.
In the second set, Naperville North battles hard, but the Warrior firepower is too much to overcome. Tisha Dubey fires a smash home to secure a late point as Waubonsie gets a one doubles win in straight sets.
Naperville North takes control in singles play
Getting singles underway, where Cheedepudi is back in action at two singles against Kelly Hu, playing for North. With Hu serving in the opening set, the two top-tier players rally near the back lines. Cheedepudi is able to backhand a return to her right that finds the floor for the point.
Hu responds later in the set. She drifts back for the return and lofts a drop shot just over the net to earn the point, taking the first set 21-11.
Hu takes control in the second set, maintaining control throughout and earning the win in the second set by the score of 21-5.
At one singles, Naperville North has freshman Erica Lin competing against Waubonsie veteran Tisha Dubey. The Huskie serves in the near court to open up the action. A couple of returns near the back until Dubey flips a backhand over. Lin charges and smashes the point down for the early edge.
Dubey keeps things close, using her experience to drop a quick return over for the point as the battle continues.
After Lin takes the first set 21-15, an extended rally breaks out in the second set. Lin undehands a return near the net that pops up. Dubey then lobs her shot all the way to the back, and it lands inside the back line for the well-placed point.
But the young Huskie is able to push through and earn the second set victory 21-16. A quick backhand flip drops over and down for the point. Naperville North improves to 4-0 in DVC play after defeating Waubonsie 14-1, protecting the home court.
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