Hornets, Red Devils Defend Overall Conference Tennis Titles

Even without its usual lineup, the girls tennis team still was pretty strong Saturday.

The Hornets won four of the seven flights at the West Suburban Conference Gold Meet in Darien and earned a share of their second consecutive overall Gold title.

Hinsdale South and Downers Grove South each scored 75 points to share the overall title, which combines points achieved in Gold duals and the conference meet.

It’s the first time the Hornets have captured back-to-back overall Gold titles since their four-peat from 2002-06.

Hinsdale South junior Emma Adcock (No. 1 singles), senior Kim Warpecha and junior Andrea Wakim (No. 1 doubles), senior Lindy Wing (No. 2 singles) and junior Steffi Chew and sophomore Paola Bozhilova (No. 2 doubles) won Gold Meet titles. Juniors Tia Dasgupta (No. 3 singles) and Nicole Rickert and Agata Verkyte (No. 3 doubles) each finished second, and sophomore Sarah Zaki and junior Julia Perschke (No. 4 doubles) were fourth.

Wing won her title with three 6-0, 6-0 victories. Warpecha and Wakim Adcock won their titles by going 2-0 and losing a combined one and three games, respectively.

The Hornets had led the Mustangs 38-37 after duals, including a 5-2 victory over Downers South, but the Mustangs outscored the Hornets 38-37 Saturday.

Hinsdale South beat Downers South in four of their six head-to-head Gold Meet championship matches with the Mustangs winning the lone three-set match at No. 3 singles. DGS also won at No. 4 doubles.

The Hornets competed without junior No. 2 doubles player Sara Devine, who was diagnosed with mononucleosis earlier in the week and probably is out for the season.

With Devine out, Chew won at No. 2 doubles with Bozhilova, promoted from No. 3 doubles. Rickert remained at No. 3 doubles with former No. 4 doubles player Verkyte. Zaki and Perschke were promoted from the junior varsity.

The Hornets will compete at the Sectional, where the top four finishers in singles and doubles advance to the state meet. Strong competition will come from Hinsdale Central, Lyons Township and Nazareth Academy.

Two-time state qualifier Warpecha and Adcock were a top-12 doubles finisher at last year’s state meet. Wing was a 2010 state qualifier in singles.

Gold Meet
Final overall standings: 1T. Hinsdale South and Downers Grove South 75, 3. Leyden 47, 4. Addison Trail 36, 5. Morton 34, 6. Willowbrook 27, 7. Proviso East 0
Hinsdale South Gold Meet results
Championship matches
No. 1 singles: Emma Adcock beat Vicki Andonova (DGS) 6-1, 6-1
No. 1 doubles: Kim Warpecha/Andrea Wakim beat Amy Evan/Tiffany Bui (DGS) 6-1, 6-0
No. 2 singles: Lindy Wing beat Grace Pete (DGS) 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 doubles: Steffi Chew/Paola Bozhilova beat Supal Metha/Dhara Puvar (DGS) 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 singles: Tia Dasgupta lost to Amber Warland (DGS) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 3 doubles: Nicole Rickert/Agata Verkyte lost to Ashley Maghirang/Shivani Rathi (DGS) 7-5, 6-0
Third-place matches
No. 4 doubles: Sarah Zaki/Julia Perschke lost to Paulina Guzman/Amanda Alejandre (M) 6-2, 6-1

Hinsdale Central girls tennis

The girls tennis team made another West Suburban Conference Silver Division title a pure sweep Saturday in Oak Park.

The Red Devils won all seven flights to dominate the Silver Meet and secure another overall title.

While the Red Devils won their 10th straight Silver title and 18th over the last 19 seasons, this was the first time they won every match at the Silver Meet since accomplishing the feat three years in a row from 2006-08.

Champions were the defending state championship doubles team of juniors Marika Cusick and Caroline Lorenzini (No. 1 doubles), sophomore Alex Solovyev (No. 1 singles), seniors Kristy Hamilton and Jackie Altansarnai (No. 2 doubles), junior Tiffany Chen (No. 2 singles), junior Shraya Soundararajan and sophomore Katie Lee (No. 3 doubles), freshman Rugile Valiunaite (No. 3 singles) and sophomores Rachel Ballantine and Alex Usher (No. 4 doubles).

The overall title is based on points earned in duals and the Silver Meet. The Red Devils amassed 83 out of a possible 84 points, followed by Glenbard West (56 points) and Lyons Township (49), York (47) and Oak Park-River Forest (45) in third through fifth.

Over their two match victories Saturday, Hamilton and Altansarnai lost just two games and Lee and Ballantine and Usher three apiece.

The Red Devils’ only defeat in dual matches was Cusick and Lorenzini’s first doubles loss to LT sophomore Alex Chatt and freshman Kristen Thoms 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 Sept. 6. Thoms has been sidelined by a stress fracture in her right foot most of the season.

The Red Devils will compete at the Hinsdale Central Sectional, where the top four finishers in singles and doubles advance to the state meet. Strong competition will come from Lyons Township, Hinsdale South and Nazareth Academy.
Besides Cusick and Lorenzini going after another state title, Hamilton qualified last year in doubles and Altansarnai and Solovyev in singles. The Red Devils finished second as a team at state to Lake Forest.

Silver Meet
Final overall standings: 1. Hinsdale Central 83, 2. Glenbard West 56, 3.  Lyons Township 49, 4. York 47, 5. Oak Park-River Forest 45, 6. Downers Grove North 14, 7. Proviso West 0
Hinsdale Central Silver Meet results
Championship matches
No. 1 singles: Alex Solovyev beat Alex Chatt (LT) 7-5, 4-6,  6-1
No. 1 doubles: Marika Cusick/Caroline Lorenzini beat Emma Forman/Tess Trinka (OPRF) 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 singles: Tiffany Chen beat Taylor Arends (OPRF) 6-0, 6-2
No. 2 doubles: Kristy Hamilton/Jackie Altansarnai beat Ellen Barry/Blaire Porter (Y) 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 singles: Rugile Valiunaite beat Katie Miller (LT) 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 doubles: Shraya Soundararajan/Katie Lee beat Grace Norgaard/Maggie Hughes (GW) 6-1, 6-1
No. 4 doubles: Rachel Ballantine/Alex Usher beat Randi Wilson/Abby Mazzocco (Y) 6-2, 6-0