Xavier
Prep’s girls discovered that to be the case on Tuesday (May 1) in a Division I
state quarterfinal match at XCP.
The Gators, who
had defeated the Firebirds 5-4 in a match on March 7 at Xavier, encountered a
Chaparral team near the top of its game and were eliminated 5-2.
Sixth-seeded
Chaparral now goes on to meet No. 2 Chandler Hamilton in one semifinal match on
Friday (May 4) at Scottsdale Ranch Park. The other semi will feature top-seeded
defending champion Scottsdale Desert Mountain and No. 5 Mesa Mountain View.
Meanwhile,
third-seeded Xavier finishes its season with a more-than-respectable 13-3
record.
Xavier’s
singles lineup looked closer to the version that began the season, with junior
Tristanne Dechoux returning to the top spot after missing at least a month with
shoulder difficulties.
Dechoux
looked good at times, but opponent Grace Koester’s power game was too much to
overcome as Koester scored a 6-0, 6-1 win.
Sophomore
Erica Stutz, who had been playing No. 1 in many of the late-season matches, was
in the No. 2 slot this time against Gabi Moss. Stutz lost the first set 7-5, won the second 6-2 and dropped the third, 6-0.
Sophomore
Kate Even, Stutz’s doubles partner, was No. 3 in the order and was defeated by
the Firebirds’ Anya Ramras, 6-2, 6-3.
The
highlight of the day for Xavier came in the No. 4 spot. Senior Maddy Corley
played a wonderful match, perhaps her best of the season, and posted a 6-3, 6-1
win over Cassie Seminoff, who had defeated Corley earlier in the season.
Playing on a
nearby court, sophomore Lorelei Glidden, continued to display good court sense
and overall maturity with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Ana Ramsook.
The singles
wrapped up with Chaparral’s Erin Hannen picking up a 6-1, 6-1 win over Gator
junior Kate Stegman.
So Chaparral
had a 4-2 lead after singles, creating a daunting task for Xavier. The Gators
would have had to win all three doubles matches to take the match.
It didn’t
happen as Koester and Ramras coasted to an 8-1 victory over Stutz and Even. Another
match between the four was supposed to have been played in the individual state
tournament semifinals over the weekend, but one of the Chaparral players fell
ill to force a default.
Xavier looks
to have another strong team for next season. The program has won 18 state
championships, the last in 2015, and has several runner-up finishes.
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