The Division I state tennis tournament will be here before you know it, but Xavier Prep already has played a state-type schedule this week with mixed results.
The Gators
lost to second-ranked Chandler Hamilton, defeated No. 10 Phoenix Pinnacle but
were dominated by top-ranked Scottsdale Desert Mountain at Xavier, 9-0 on
Thursday (April 15).
Xavier will
play two more matches at home next week to wrap up the regular season before
the state team tournament begins on April 27.
That means
Xavier Coach Laurie Martin will be burning the midnight oil trying to figure
out which players give her team the best chance for success. And it will not be
easy, given the fact that the roster is loaded with underclassmen, including at
least four freshmen in the lineup, and of late has been affected by injuries.
Some injured players might return, others likely will not.
“This is the
most of this type of thing that I have ever had, but what are you going to
do?’’ she said. “You have to get out your glue gun and try to piece everything
together.
“We have
been pushed and been challenged and that’s fantastic. It’s a great experience
for the girls, although we have had to shift some of them up several positions
(against tougher competition).’’
One of the
injured players is No. 1 Ryan Kershner. She started slow at the beginning of
the season, played some doubles recently before being nagged again and is
hopeful to return by tournament time.
That has
allowed freshman Dani Dyer to develop her game as the No. 1 singles player most
of the time, as well as become a solid doubles player.
Dyer lost
against Hamilton on Tuesday, won at Pinnacle and then encountered Desert
Mountain junior Savanna Kollock, the Wolves’ top player who was state runner-up
as a freshman in 2019 before the Covid virus forced cancellation of last year’s
tournament.
Kollock is
left-handed and the ball often comes at an opponent with a different angle and
different spin. She also is tall with long arms, and the length of her reach
also is a big asset.
Dyer had
some good shots on Thursday but not enough of them as Kollock prevailed.
“They
(Desert Mountain) are a very good team, showing all different types of shots
and spins,’’ Martin said. “As our players continue to grow, we hope to be able
to play like that when we go out. It will happen all in good time.’’
The Gators’
last two regular-season matches will be on Monday (April 19) against Chandler
High and Tuesday (April 20) against Gilbert Perry.
Thursday’s results
Desert
Mountain 9, Xavier Prep 0
Singles
No. 1 – Savanna
Kollock, DM, def. Danielle Dyer, X, 6-1, 6-1.
No. 2 –
Julia Frazier, DM, def. Victoria Chrostowski, X, 6-0, 6-1.
No. 3 –
Olivia Kim, DM, def. Megan Wheeling, X, 6-0, 6-0.
No. 4 – Ava
Koenig, DM, def. Belani Soto, X, 7-6, 2-6, 10-4.
No. 5 –
Analise Wachtel, DM, def. Kristina Stender, X, 6-3, 6-0.
No. 6 –
Catherine Palmer, DM, def. Lily Gabler, X, 6-2, 6-3.
Doubles
No. 1 – Frazier-Kim, DM, def. Soto-Dyer, X, 8-4.
No. 2 – Kollock-Koenig, DM, def. Victoria Chrostowski-Emilia
Chrostowski, X, 8-2.
No. 3 – Wachtel-Palmer, DM, def. Wheeling-Stender, X, 9-8.
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