Neuqua Valley badminton plays host to another round of sectional championships with six schools hoping to qualify players to state. The Wildcats have won nine consecutive sectional titles. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Neuqua Valley starts strong in the doubles bracket
Starting with the doubles semifinals where Katherine He and Amber Shi from Neuqua Valley take on Thornton Fractional South seniors Azuri Akbar and Deisy Salto. Neuqua holds the early lead but Akbar and Salto battle hard throughout the match. After several nice returns, Salto lobs a long range return that lands just inside the back line for the point.
Near the end of the first set, Salto with a lob closer to the net, but she quickly realizes she did not send it far back enough as Katherine Ye smashes the point down. The Wildcats win the first set 21-10.
In the second set, a quick rally goes back and forth until Amber Shi pushes her return to the back corner and down for the point. Shi and Ye are heading to the doubles championship and to state after a 21-13 second set win. Akbar and Salto eventually earn a spot at state as well after winning the third place match.
The champs are here! 2024 state doubles champions Kanyanat Vajworarat and Luna Han from Neuqua Valley compete in the other doubles semifinal against Ashika Anand and Iniya Mani from Plainfield North.
There are no easy ways to attack this Wildcat duo. Off the serve from Vajworarat, Han slams down a smash as Neuqua rolls in the first set 21-7.
The Tigers try to stay alive in the second set, sending back several returns until Han flips a backhand out of reach as Neuqua moves on to the sectional finals after a 21-2 second set. It’s not all bad news for Plainfield North as Mani and Anand punch their tickets to state with a fourth place finish.
That sets up an all Neuqua Valley doubles championship. In a friendly rivalry matchup for first place, Vajworarat and Han are able to take down their teammates in straight sets to win a second straight doubles sectional championship.
Hannah George cruises into the sectional final
Jumping to the singles semifinal round where three-time state medalist Hannah George takes on Sahasra Vempati from Plainfield North. George looks ready for another deep postseason run in her final high school season, calmly driving down a line drive smash for the first set point.
In the second set, Vempati is driven towards the back and goes for the drop shot return, it’s well placed but George lunges forward and delivers a backhand scoop shot and drops it right back over the net to win in straight sets. Vempati is heading to state by finishing in fourth place, but Hannah George heads to the sectional final.
One of the top freshman in the area this spring is Wildcat Ishi Reddy, she competes in the other singles semifinal against Nisitha Sree Gadhi from Plainfield North. In the first set a lengthy rally goes back-and-forth as Gadhi is able to keep pace. By the end of the point, Reddy hits a hard liner back over to put away the point and a first set win.
Gadhi is doing what she can to remain in each point. In the second set she does a nice job getting low to dig out a return and Reddy gets over eager on the smash as she finds the net as the point goes to the Tiger.
Looking to put things away, Reddy sends a lob on her serve which gets sent back over, the freshman then slams a smash to the right side and in for the point. The victory sets up another all-Neuqua championship match in singles. Gadhi defeats her teammate Vempati to win the singles third-place medal.
Ishi Reddy pulls the upset to win the singles championship
A competitive first set between the veteran and the rookie, Hannah George shows her experience early on as Reddy makes a nice return, but George pounces with a smash for the point.
However, as the championship match goes on, Reddy is able to gain the edge, showing impressive quickness, power and savvy. She puts away this point with a drop shot just out of George’s reach as Ishi Reddy is the singles sectional champ after a 21-18, 21-15 win. Neuqua Valley badminton wins a tenth consecutive sectional championship with Plainfield North in second and Sandburg in third as Coach Benson and his team heads to state next weekend on a high note.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
