Girls tennis: Munster, upstart Whiting advance to regional final
By Dennis Churilla Post-Tribune correspondent May 22, 2012 11:16PM
Whiting's Jazmyne Henderson returns a shot to Hobart's Sabrina Milsap in their semifinal match at the Highland Tennis Regional Tuesday afternoon. | Jeffrey D. Nicholls~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 2, 2012 10:08AM
HIGHLAND — It will be David vs. Goliath on Wednesday as both Whiting and state-ranked No. 6 Munster advanced to the final of the Highland girls tennis regional.
Munster (19-1) was no surprise as it rolled to a straight-set 5-0 sweep of Crown Point (14-5). The Mustangs had opened their season with a sweep of the Bulldogs more than two months ago, and though the lineups had changed some, the results were no different.
“It’s a good feeling knowing we’re almost there,” said Munster’s Jessica Rooth, who claimed a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles. “This year we have a really strong team and we have a lot of confidence.”
Whiting’s presence, however, wasn’t quite as anticipated. Whiting’s 4-1 victory over Hobart placed the Oilers into the regional final for the first time in school history.
“This feels awesome for both me and the girls,” Whiting coach Arthur Young said. “There’s only 32 teams left now and we’re fortunate to be one of them. I didn’t exactly see it coming at the beginning of the season, but I told them if we work hard, we can do it.”
Whiting’s arrival isn’t entirely a fluke, as the Oilers have posted a school-best 14-2 record to date. The two losses came back-to-back in the middle of the season and Young thinks they provided a valuable lesson for his squad.
“We lost in three sets at all three singles matches to Michigan City Marquette and then again to East Chicago,” Young said. “We battled some, but I think the girls realized then that they have to be willing to leave everything out on the court.”
In the individual brackets, Kankakee Valley’s Abbey Hamstra moved on with a 6-1, 6-2 win over East Chicago’s Ashley Pabey. Lowell’s Chloe White and Jessica Sharkey advanced in the doubles bracket, as did the pairing of twins Vanessa and Aby Madrigal of Highland.
