Avon wins fourth straight SWC title in girls tennis

AVON LAKE — For the fourth straight year, Avon brought home the Southwestern Conference championship. But it had to work overtime to secure its fourth title of the night, as the second doubles team of Ishani Kishorepuria and Julianne Hindman had to rally for a three-set victory against Avon Lake's Ava Keller and Cailey Zanny 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, securing the Eagles' victories in all but one of the five tournament draws Tuesday. "That match was all mental, which was painful in the figurative sense," Hindman said. "It feels really good to win the championship." Avon Lake built a 5-1 lead in the first set, one that the Eagles closed to 5-4 before the Shoregals closed them out. Avon, the draw's top seed, restored order in the second by building a 4-1 lead of its own and holding on for a 6-3 victory. It looked as if Avon Lake was going to win the match when, after going down 30-0 on serve, the Shoregals won the next four points, then broke at love and took a 15-0 lead in what would have clinched the match. Avon responded by getting the break, holding and then breaking at love for the championship. "We just cheered each other on, got our serves in play and it worked," Kishorepuria said. The Eagles' other three championships were more straightforward as its top three singles players — Natalie Smitek (first), Denver Johnson (second) and Amelia Tomak (third) — each won their respective draws against the top singles players from Avon Lake. Johnson defeated Autumn Korey 6-1, 6-3 to clinch her third straight SWC championship, the previous two coming at first singles. The Avon junior won the first five games of the match, then closed out Korey by winning the last four. Tomak defeated Elizabeth Meiners 6-1, 6-2, building a 4-1 lead in the first and then winning the final three games of the second for the crown. Tomak was the runner-up at second singles last season. Smitek continued her impressive season with a 6-3, 6-0 win against Amber Korey. The Avon Lake sophomore had a chance to steal the opening game with two break points, but Smitek won the next four points. The pair then had an epic 26-point second game with Smitek coming away with the break, only for Korey to break right back. The Avon junior, however, won the final nine games to clinch her first SWC title after competing with Magnificat the last two seasons. "It took a little bit," Smitek said. "I just got looser and less scared to hit the ball and I started hitting through it more and moving my feet." The only draw Avon didn't win was first doubles, where Kat Yates and Gabby Yates teamed up to defeat Avon's Julia Kacenjar and Victoria Sidoti 7-5, 6-3, clinching what the school said was Midview's first SWC tennis championship. "This is actually our last hurrah," Kat Yates said. "This is our last chance to win together so it feels really good. Avon is a really good team, so it feels really good to beat them." The sisters had to rally down 5-4 in the first, breaking to take a 6-5 lead then holding on Gabby Yates serve for the first set. Midview built a 5-2 lead in the second, but Avon got the break to keep its hopes alive. The Middies responded by closing out the match with a break. "It feels really good," Gabby Yates said. "We're both low key sick right now, but it felt really good. I don't think we've ever beat Avon so I feel really good about that. We just lifted each other up." Amherst clinched third in the team standings by sending four representatives to third-place matches. Kaylee Pajor prevailed against Berea-Midpark's Malayna Weber 6-3, 7-5 to take third at second singles. Contact Chris Sweeney at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on Twitter. TEAM SCORES 1. Avon 39, 2. Avon Lake 34, 3. Amherst 25, 4. Olmsted Falls 22, 5. Midview 19, 6. Berea-Midpark 16, 7. Elyria 14, 8. North Ridgeville 11. INDIVIDUAL RESULTS FIRST SINGLES: Championship — Natalie Smitek (Avon) def. Amber Korey (Avon Lake) 6-3, 6-0. Third place — Morgan Truscott (Olmsted Falls) def. Kayla Bussard (Amherst), 6-0, 6-0. Remaining placers — 5. J.J. Zarzycki-Hall (Berea-Midpark), 6. Kaylee Queen (North Ridgeville), 7. Haley Kapalin (Elyria), 8. Aniya Qualls (Midview). SECOND SINGLES: Championship — Denver Johnson (Avon) def. Autumn Korey (Avon Lake) 6-1, 6-3. Third place — Kaylee Pajor (Amherst) def. Malayna Weber (Berea-Midpark) 6-3, 7-5. Remaining placers — 5. Sophia Faust (Olmsted Falls), 6. Hannah Rishel (Elyria), 7. Bianca Talpa (North Ridgeville), 8. Liv Kerecz (Midview). THIRD SINGLES: Championship — Amelia Tomak (Avon) def. Elizabeth Meiners (Avon Lake) 6-1, 6-2. Third place — Abby Pirnat (Olmsted Falls) def. Isabel Quast (Elyria) 6-0, 6-3. Remaining placers — 5. Elaine Kapalin (Amherst), 6. Natalie Lisicky (Midview), 7. Lauren Krumhansl (Berea-Midpark), 8. Bella Dienes (North Ridgeville). FIRST DOUBLES: Championship — Kat Yates-Gabby Yates (Midview) def. Julia Kacenjar-Victoria Sidoti (Avon) 7-5, 6-3. Third place — Leah Hicov-Grace He (Avon Lake) def. Jennie Kirnus-Carly Traut (Amherst) 6-2, 6-3. Remaining placers — 5. Ciara Zeleznik-Lindsay McGhee (Berea-Midpark), 6. Karen Dougher-Nicole Gaal (Olmsted Falls), 7. Moriah Jackson-Rachael Bowens (Elyria), 8. Allie Chincar-Mivan Pham (North Ridgeville). SECOND DOUBLES: Championship — Ishani Kishorepuria-Julianne Hindman (Avon) def. Ava Keller-Cailey Zanny (Avon Lake) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Third place — Amanda Pshock-Rachel Whary (Midview) def. Mackenzie Gutierrez-Mia Atkinson (Amherst) 6-0, 6-0. Remaining placers — 5. Lily Sante-Emily Sewell (North Ridgeville), 6. Reagan Westerfield-Molly Murphy (Olmsted Falls), 7. Meadow Novak-Julia Abbott (Elyria), 8. Grace Mischler-Faith Campbell (Berea-Midpark).