LADY KNIGHTS DISTRICT TENNIS -- WOW!

The Barstow lady knights tennis team participated in the District 13 tennis tournament on Friday with every team member achieving a district medal.  in singles  the action began at Blue Hills CC because of the rain with Mia Sabapathy winning decisively 8-0 over Lutheran.  Returning to Pembroke Hill for the rest of the tournament, Mia then lined up against the St. Michael's #1 player and came away with an upset tiebreaker win, 6-2, 2-6 (7-5).

In the other singles bracket Arwa Rawjani needed only one match to get to the semis and came away with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Lutheran. Both girls lost in the semis, but their early wins earned them a medal round against each other with Arwa winning 8-4 to take a THIRD place medal and Mia a FOURTH.place district medal.

 

That left the doubles with Barstow's top four lining up for an eventual meeting again with Pembroke Hill.  First, Senior Lauren Shore and junior Hope Leathers faced the #1 team from Lutheran and won 6-0, 6-0.  In the semis Lauren and Hope lost a tough one to Pembroke's best doubles team 6-2, 6-2. 

 Meanwhile in the other bracket, Lady Knights #1 doubles team of seniors Hannah Tadros and Helene Bergere, seeded #2 won their first round against St Michael's #1, 6-0, 6-0 setting up the key semifinal round, the win needed to move on to the sectional round of the state tournament (all finalists move to the next round).  They took on Pembroke Hill's #2 doubles team and the #3 seed.  The girls fought off a challenge in the first set to win 6-4, and won the second set, 6-2 to move them into the finals to face the #1 seed, Pembroke Hill's #1 team. 

Meanwhile, Lauren Shore and Hope Leathers had one more round to go, to play for the THIRD place district medal against the #2 Pem Hill team.  In their very best tennis of the year, the two Lady Knights fought off a 6-6 challenge and pulled out a 7-6 upset against the pair as senior Lauren Shore uses ends her four year varsity career in style.   

 

That set up the doubles championship.  This was a slugfest, some of the most exciting doubles of the year.  Seniors Hannah Tadros and Helene Bergere, played fell behind early in the first set, fighting their own double faults.  But the girls rallied with impressive, steady backcourt groundstrokes from Helene, deep crushing service returns from Hannah and  relentless pursuit at the net by both girls, winning the first set 6-3.  

In the second set, double faults still plagued the pair, but their steady baseline play an aggressive net play kept them in it until with some bad luck and net malfunction the girls lost the second set 4-6.  That set up the match tiebreaker for the District doubles title.   Helene and Hannah both found their serves and let their partner sweep the net for a decisive 10-3 match TIEBREAKER win.