Woodlands’ Courtney Croll wins state tennis singles title with epic comeback

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart senior Courtney Croll is the IHSA Girls Tennis Class 1A state singles champion, rallying from 5-1 down in her second set to beat top-seeded Caroline Shi of Deerfield, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, in the Oct. 24 final at Buffalo Grove High School. This is the second year in a row that Croll’s singles competition prowess took her all the way to the IHSA State Final, and the first year that she captured the state championship.

It was a come-from-behind victory that Woodlands Academy varsity tennis head coach Jim Franke described as “truly legendary.” She had lost the first set and was down to Shi in the second, but fended off five match points to eventually win that set and then go on to win the third set. "Her performance left us all speechless,” Franke said. “The comeback from way down in the final match was an extraordinary demonstration of heart, grit and determination.”

Of the 64 singles players who qualified for the 2026 State Final, Croll entered the competition as the #2 seed.

Her tournament play ended with a perfect 6-0 record, going three sets only twice. The strength of her singles performance this year placed Woodlands Academy in a three-way tie for fifth place with Chicago’s Walter Payton College Preparatory and Hinsdale South high schools in the final team standings.

Based on her 2026 final record of 28-0 and performance at the state tournament, Croll was designated a 2026 First Team All-State Honoree. (She was also named an All-State Honoree at last year’s State Final, in which she finished #6.)

“Courtney represented the Wildcats with grit, determination and power,” said Franke. “Her competitive spirit and toughness were on full display at the state tournament, twice coming back to win matches after being down a set.”

Croll’s post-season run began with a win at the Independent School League (ISL) conference tournament in early October, including victories over a couple of top-ranked players. Afterward, Croll was named ISL Player of the Year. The ISL is an athletic conference comprising eight private secondary schools in the Chicago metro area.

Next up was Croll’s first-place finish at the IHSA Sectional Tournament a week later. Ten area high schools, mainly from Lake County, competed at Antioch Community High School. Croll defeated players from Grayslake Central, Lake Forest and Carmel Catholic high schools in the semifinal and final rounds to win the sectional championship. “The quality of her play energized the whole team and made us better,” said Franke.

Woodlands’ varsity tennis team tied for second place at the sectional meet, and in addition to Croll, seniors Lulu Henderson, Camila Mendoza, Talia Sevim, Nyah Watson, and freshman Alexandra Tereszkiewicz contributed to that achievement.

As for the future, Croll intends to play college tennis and, according to Franke, is being actively recruited by several schools. “She is the smartest, toughest player I have had the privilege to coach,” he said. “Her ability to dismantle opponents through a combination of power and finesse is remarkable. She plays with focus, versatility and intelligence, finding a way to win even when things aren’t going well – truly impressive.”

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Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades nine through 12. Founded in Chicago in 1858 and located in Lake Forest since 1904, Woodlands is part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries on six continents. To learn more, visit woodlandsacademy.org.