Highland girls tennis team qualifies for state tournament
by Emily Canning-Dean
After a season of hard work and perseverance, the Highland High School varsity girls tennis team made school history this fall after qualifying to compete at the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association State Team Tournament in the final four at The College of Wooster Oct. 19.
The team qualified for the final four after a 3-2 win over Magnificat.
“When we beat Kenston on Aug. 22, four courts to one, we thought we had a path to the final four,” Varsity Tennis Coach Lisa Reynolds said. “Our team is successful due to our depth and flexibility. Ella Tople and Hailey Pennington are a force to be reckoned with on second doubles. We can interchange a couple singles and doubles players who are flexible enough to play both types of tennis.”
Reynolds said this is the first time a Highland tennis team went to the final four state championship as an entire team.
“In 2000, the team made it to the Elite 8 under founding coach, Nancy Bloom,” she said.
Reynolds, who is in her 22nd girls tennis season, said she is proud of the hard work her team has put in.
“We are preparing with a balance of practicing and we added another match versus Hathaway Brown Oct. 15,” she said.
The team includes seven starters: Ally Haynes, Claire Schlak, Lily Hantz, Ella Tople, Wren Marquis, Kenzie Pawlak and Hailey Pennington. Sarah Kelly and Teagan McCafferty round out the team as subs.
Reynolds said that at the Oct. 9 Ohio High School Athletic Association district tournament, Pawlak and Hantz qualified as a 3 seed for the OHSAA district tournament and were eliminated in the first round by Avon Lake. Haynes and Schlak qualified as a 1 seed for the OHSAA district tournament, winning their first round match versus Dover and qualified for the state tournament in doubles with a win over Solon.
photo caption: The Highland Girl’s tennis team made history this fall after qualifying for the final four in the Oct.19th state tournament. photo submitted