Homestead captured the team title in the Bluffton tennis regional Wednesday night but several individuals from Z Land are still alive in the singles and doubles portion of the IHSAA state tournament heading into Thursday.
The Spartans took care of business with ease, winning 5-0 and 5-0 in their two matches to advance. They’ll face Delta in the semi-state at Homestead on Saturday morning.
In the singles state tournament, Macie Saalfrank of Norwell defeated Emma Fuelling of Bellmont 6-0, 6-2 to advance to Thursday’s final round. Saalfrank will need one more win to reach the regional for the second straight year. The Norwell ace was defeated in the regional final by the No. 1 from Lakeland last year at the North Central state tennis complex.
Meanwhile, in doubles play, Averie Coats and Ella Ross remained undefeated on the season with a convincing win over Hannah Stout and Sophia Cline of Southwood, taking the match 6-2, 6-1.
That sets up a rematch between the Bellmont doubles pair and Bluffton’s top doubles team of Sophie Eisenhut and Emily Drayer for a spot at North Central in ten days’ time.
When the two teams met early in May, it was Drayer and Eisenhut taking the first set. Ross and Coats stormed back, however, and took the next two sets to maintain their undefeated 2026 season.
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