Neuqua Valley badminton is back as host for one of the sectional championship tournaments, with dozens of players looking to punch their tickets to state. The Wildcats look to begin the defense of their state championship crown and are off to a good start after winning the DVC tourney a week ago. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
In the doubles bracket, Amber Sylvester and Kaitlyn Mix from Lincoln-Way West compete against Brooke Ellinghaus and Jiya Patel from Plainfield North in the third-place match after both teams battled through the consolation bracket. Mix and Sylvester drop an early shot over the net for the point.
Late in the first set, the Tigers take control. Ellinghaus lobs a return that lands just inside the back corner to help Plainfield win the first set.
Ellinghaus, the daughter of Neuqua football coach and assistant athletic director, Bill Ellinghaus, and Patel are heading to state as the third-place winners. Despite the defeat, Mix and Sylvester will head to state as well.
Han and Reddy roll to the sectional title
The doubles championship, to little surprise, is an all-Neuqua Valley matchup with the top seed, Ishi Reddy and Luna Han, taking on teammates Amber Shi and Katherine Ye. Shi and Ye overcame a tough challenge in the semis from Alicja Komperda and Karolina Szwab from Shepard to make it to the title match. The senior captains take an early lead as Ye finds the open court for a point.
Han and Reddy shake off the challenge and turn up the heat as Luna Han slams a backhand smash down as the top seed takes the first set 21-7.
In the second set, Shi and Ye do what they can to keep a rally alive. Shi with a pair of backline returns, while Ye digs out a drop shot. But Reddy is ready as she flicks her shot to the open floor towards the right. Han and Reddy are the singles sectional champions, with Shi and Ye in second.
In the singles bracket, Abby Rios from Oak Forest squares off against Sahasra Vempati from Plainfield North. Both players are already heading to state, but are battling for better seeding. Rios, who fell to Neuqua’s Clarinda Jin, takes an early point with a perfectly placed return on the sideline.
Vempati fell in three sets to Sristi Barnwal from Neuqua in the semis, but she bounces back nicely in the third-place match, winning in straight sets after a nice drop shot.
An all-Wildcat singles championship
Another all-Wildcat matchup comes your way in the singles championship with the undefeated freshman Clarinda Jin taking on junior teammate Sristi Barnwal. Both are heading to state for the first time.
Jin serves in the far court, and Barnwal drops her return just over the net. Jin can’t get enough on her scoop shot as the point goes to Barnwal.
Barnwal serves a couple of points later, but Jin leaps for a jumping smash that lands near the line. An impressive shot as the freshman takes the first set.
Neuqua Valley continues its long run of sectional success
In the second set, match point for Jin. Barnwal thinks she has the point at various times, but Jin is always there with the return. She gets a lob facing the opposite direction, recovers, and calmly flips a backhand to the front corner to put the game away. Clarinda Jin is the singles sectional champion. Neuqua Valley is a badminton sectional champion for an eleventh season in a row and heads to state with a full squad. Plainfield North takes second with Bradley-Bourbonais in third.
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