Plymouth, Triton seasons end at Regionals
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pilot file photo/ron haramia
Plymouth�s Josh Dietz hit a home run for the sixth consecutive game in the Pilgrims� win over Peru Tuesday. Plymouth hosts Triton tonight at 7 p.m. |
5-28-03
By Paul Dendiu
Pilot Sports
SOUTH BEND � The Plymouth and Triton girls tennis teams both saw their seasons end Tuesday afternoon in the regional semifinals at Leeper Park. The Pilgrims fell to Penn, 4-1, while the Trojans came up one match short in a 3-2 loss to Clay.
Penn knocks out Plymouth
The Pilgrims (14-4) came out swinging at each position, and held early leads in all but one match. No. 2 player Aubrey Shanks found herself leading sophomore Jenny Whitney 3-0, then dropped the next four games. Shanks recovered and forced a first-set tie-break, but Whitney prevailed, 9-7, and won five of the first six games in the second set en route to a 7-6, 6-3 victory.
Whitney�s win was the second of day for the Kingsmen (17-1), who scored the first point of the match when junior Ivana Juric ousted senior Abby Keiser, 6-4, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.
�Penn has some nice singles players,� Plymouth coach Kim Riddle said. �Aubrey and Abby came out in the first sets and gave all they had. We just don�t play the competition Penn does, and we don�t hit that hard for the whole match.�
Jenny Faulstich and Jessica Vervynckt have been a hard duo for any school to beat, and they continued their post-season run with a solid 6-1, 6-3 win over Natalie Beam and Jackie Rogers.
�They struggled for a game or two, but they found their way,� Riddle said of her senior No. 1 tandem. �They cover the court so well. They don�t always hit the hardest, but they get the job done.�
Plymouth�s No. 2 team wasn�t quite as fortunate.
Stefanie Crawford and Stephanie Welch lost the first set against Katy Carlile and Lauren Woodward, yet stormed back and won the second, 6-0. Crawford and Welch led 4-3 in the final set, but lost three straight games to end the contest.
�The last couple of games they just fell apart. It was hard to fight back,� Riddle said. �They did fight off some match points, but it just wasn�t good enough to come back and get it.�
�Our No. 2 doubles has been pretty good for us and they�ve been able to stay in matches. They�ve pulled out these three-set wins the last couple weeks, and they�re the reason we are where we are,� Penn coach Vaughn Smith said. �Our No. 2 and No. 3 singles players played extremely well. They just find a way to win.�
With the outcome already decided, it was difficult for Shannon Gehrke to stay focused on her final match as a Pilgrim. Plymouth�s top player went toe-to-toe with Bailey Louderback, overcoming a 4-1 deficit in the first set to win an 8-6 tie-break. Though Louderback jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second set, Gehrke refused to give up during the third set, forcing her opponent to serve for the match twice.
�Shannon was down. She knew she was going to be done (for the season) no matter what. She had nothing to lose,� Riddle said. �She still came out and went for her shots. It was the last match of her senior year, and I told her to play it for herself.�
Vervynckt and Faulstich, who upped their record to 21-0, will continue playing for themselves later this week when they face the winner of today�s match between Bremen and Marian.
�Lindsay (Houin) and I did the same thing last year. It�s tough because we�re excited for each other but you�re so bummed for the team,� Faulstich said. �I think this match showed us that stronger returns are something we really need to work on a little more than what we�re used to. Jessica and I set individual goals early this season, so now we have to work towards that. We didn�t make our team goal, so now we have to look at ourselves at this point.�
Riddle has to look toward a future that includes Shanks, Crawford and a number of promising underclassmen.
�Aubrey will be a decent No. 1 player. She just needs to get more mental toughness. Stefanie just has to keep playing,� she said. �It�s the same with the JV. They need to play tournaments this summer and get out and get some more experience. I have some sophomores who will step up and fill the spots, but I think it will be a little harder next year.�
Clay edges Triton
The Trojans (12-2) got wins from No. 3 singles player Amber Mellott and Samantha Keel and Holly Heckaman at No. 2 doubles. The Colonials (10-5) won all three of their matches in straight sets to earn a spot in today�s championship round against Penn.
Individual tournament
Culver Academy�s Lora Dushanova resumed her quest for a state title by dominating Adams� Allyson Scherb, 6-0, 6-1.
�She is definitely a good player. I know the score doesn�t say so, but it was a tough match to play,� said Dushanova, who improved to 16-0. �I definitely hit better as a whole.�
Bremen�s Erin Katterheirich and Emily Meister defeated Lindsey Williams and Nicole Marsh of Knox, 6-1, 6-4 to advance in the No. 1 doubles bracket. Bremen will return today to face Marian�s Carolyn Pyszka and Martha Strebinger, winners over Adams� Megan Marshall and Rachel Wein.
PENN 4, PLYMOUTH 1
At South Bend Regionals
SINGLES: 1. Bailey Louderback (Penn) beat Shannon Gehrke 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 7-5; 2. Jenny Whitney (Penn) beat Aubrey Shanks 7-6 (7), 6-3; 3. Ivana Juric (Penn) beat Abby Keiser 6-4, 6-0.
DOUBLES: 1. Jenny Faulstich-Jessica Vervynckt (P) beat Natalie Beam-Jackie Rogers 6-1, 6-3; 2. Katy Carlile-Lauren Woodward (Penn) beat Stefanie Crawford-Stephanie Welch 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.
Records: Plymouth 14-4, Penn 17-1.
CLAY 3, TRITON 2
SINGLES: 1. Jori Weingarten (C) beat Angie Wilcox 6-2, 6-4; 2. Laura Jones (C) beat Brittany Zeider 7-5, 6-1; 3. Amber Mellott (T) beat Mallory Wilson 6-3, 6-2.
DOUBLES: 1. Noreen Shaikh-Nausheen Shaikh (C) beat Kelly Whiteman-Lena Miller 6-3, 6-0; 2. Samantha Keel-Holly Heckaman (T) beat Anita Turk-Valerie Cosimano 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Records: Triton 12-2, Clay 10-5.
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