Friday’s sectional semifinals were a great example of why high school tennis teams can not rest on regular season accomplishments when teams meet back up in the postseason.
Bluffton dominated Adams Central in a 5-0 sweep back in April and the Bellmont Braves shocked Norwell by the same scoreline in the regular season, but all that was wiped away at Norwell Friday for the sectional semifinals, with all four teams waiting patiently to play for an extra two days.
While the Tigers and Braves both prevailed, it was by a slim, 3-2 margin that they advanced to Saturday’s sectional final.
The last sectional title for Bellmont came back in 2011, while Bluffton, one of the oldest high schools in the area, does not have a sectional title in girls tennis.
Varsity Results
Bellmont 3 Norwell 2
No. 1-Macie Saalfrank (N) d. Leila Jin, 6-1, 6-0
No. 2-Emma Fuelling (B) d. Aubrey Meyer, 6-2, 6-0
No. 3-Lillian Jin (B) d. Lucy Gerbers, 6-0, 6-0
No. 1-Emmaline Johnson/Gabrielle Hoeppner (N) d. Lilyana Suarez/Ella Ross, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)
No. 2-Alyssa Coffey/Averie Coats (B) d. Bria Reinhard/Aubryn Keller, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
Varsity Results
Bluffton 3 Adams Central 2
No. 1-Emma Schwartz (B) d. Melanie Bertsch, 6-2, 6-4
No. 2-Hazel Pfister (B) d. McKayla Ringger, 6-2, 6-0
No. 3-Tenley Hendricks (AC) d. Kinzie Fiechter, 6-2, 6-4
No. 1-Macy McClure/Alexa Brotherton (AC) d. Sophie Eisenhut/Emily Drayer, 6-3, 6-3
No. 2-Eve Corkwell/Madison Duncan (B) d. Lila Ringger/Jillian Brotherton, 6-4, 6-2
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