OWEGO – On a cold and windy Friday morning in Owego, the Indians hosted the Section IV Class B tournament. The ladies of the Norwich Purple Tornado tennis squad warmed up quickly and were able to start off the day with wins despite the elements.
Norwich’s doubles team made up of Riley Marsh and Natalie Benenati began by defeating Maine-Endwell’s Mira Pasquale and Precelaire Joseph without losing a single game (6-0, 6-0). In their next match, Lauren Angelone and Kayla Hankey of Owego defeated the Tornado duo. Angelone and Hankey eventually claimed the Class B doubles title.
Ava Granquist and Katie Gawronski, Norwich’s second-seeded doubles team, overcame their Maine-Endwell opponents Sophia Pelton and Angela Thomas with scores of 6-3 and 6-1, winning in straight sets to move on to the quarterfinals.
After a first round bye, Norwich’s Parker Walsh displayed true grit with her come-from-behind upset over Owego’s fourth-seeded singles player Ella Kopalek. With the first set going to Kopalek, Walsh defeated to the Owego opponent 7-5 to force a third set, which she won 6-1.
Walsh’s victory kept Norwich in the running for the sectional title. In the same singles quarterfinals round, the Tornado’s Lucie Martin easily handed Maine-Endwell’s Hannah Green a loss in straight sets, moving onto the semifinals(6-1, 6-1).
The Granquist-Gawronski team defeated Vestal’s duo of Eeshah Ahmed and Shreya Nippani with scores of 6-3 and 6-1, earning a place in the doubles championship match.
On the singles side of the tournament, Martin continued to dominate as she handled Vestal’s Anita Mott to secure her spot in the finals.
With the possibility of a Tornado vs Tornado championship match, Norwich’s Walsh squared off against the Golden Bear’s Angelique DeRouen.
DeRouen, the defending Section IV singles champion, was too much for Walsh in the match, winning in two games and moving onto face Martin in the finals. Walsh still saw a chance to gain a medal and points for her team as she moved into the consolation match.
The championship and consolation matches were represented by both Norwich and Vestal on three of the four courts.
As all matches ultimately decided who took home the sectional title, each match also determined who among the players would earn spots at the New York State qualifier tournament. All matches were the third ones played by each netter that day.
Despite their impressive victories earlier in the day, Granquist and Gawronski could not conquer the athleticism of Owego’s Angelone and Hankey. The Class B tournament champions went on to win both games 6-2, handing Granquist and Gawronski second place in the tournament.
With the two bringing home second in the tournament, Granquist and Gawronski will move on to the qualifier tournament.
On a neighboring court, Vestal’s Ahmed and Nippani earned the final state qualifier spot for doubles teams by defeating their fellow Golden Bears teammates Elizabeth Hartley and Cate Reynolds.
Vestal’s Mott earned her place at the qualifying tournament by defeating Walsh, 6-1 and 6-0. The Golden Bears’ DeRouen retained her sectionals championship crown as she survived the play of Norwich’s Martin. Both players, however, now move on to the qualifiers.
“We had a great run at the title today,” said Norwich head coach John Stewart said. “We knew that it was going to be between us and Vestal.”
Stewart also stated that Walsh came up big by winning her first match and finishing fourth overall. He was impressed with how Marsh and Benenati won the first round in dominant fashion, and only to have been defeated by the eventual champions.
