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GIRLS TENNIS: Clarkston takes home narrow victory at Pioneer Invitational
GIRLS TENNIS: Clarkston takes home narrow victory at Pioneer Invitational
True to form, it was a cold and windy day this past Saturday in Southeast Michigan. While the girls playing in the Pioneer Invitational may not have had ideal conditions for late April, the undesirable weather did not seem to affect their play. The meet consisted of girls from Clarkston High School, Troy High School, Ann Arbor Pioneer High School and Novi High School—all schools that can boast some serious tennis skills. The meet was a round-robin format instead of a knockout type tournament, so each school had the opportunity to play the others. This allowed the girls to experience a wide range of competition throughout the day, which spanned about an 8-hour period! Anyone who attended this meet can attest to the girl’s hard work and stamina over such a long period of time—especially in such conditions.
It was Clarkston, however, that landed in the top spot with 17 total points. Not far behind was the host school, Pioneer, with 15 points. Next came Troy with 12 points and last but certainly not least was Novi with 5 points. In a breakdown of the meet, it is clear why Clarkston came out on top when looking at their singles play, as they won on every level. They also won No. 1 doubles, while Troy won No. 2 and Pioneer took home No. 3 and No. 4.
Noteworthy performances came out of each of the schools, but it was Clarkston and Pioneer that had the most at stake. Coming off all-star 2012 seasons, both schools are under pressure this season to keep the victories coming. Junior Lexi Baylis of Clarkston, who clenched the No. 2 singles state championship title last year, won all but 1 of her matches on Saturday. Pioneer’s No. 3 doubles team, consisting of Alyssa Roopas and Evie Van DeWedge, proved that they deserved the upgrade from No. 4 doubles (their spot from the 2012 season) by remaining undefeated.
Perhaps the greatest performance of the day, however, was Pioneer’s No. 1 doubles team. Standout players Anna Borowicz and Sarah Court made the jump from No. 3 doubles last year to No. 1 this year. Though they lost two of their matches on Saturday, Head Coach Tom Pullen was still extremely impressed with his players, who were undefeated last season. “This was a huge jump for them, but they really hung in there” Pullen said. We will definitely keep our eyes peeled for Borowicz and Court this season.
