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CJ tennis tandem headed to state

Doubles team of Haley and Sandridge clicking at just the right time.

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By Debbie Juniewicz, Contributing Writer 10:18 PM Saturday, October 15, 2011

MASON — “Good” was not a word that would have described the Chaminade Julienne doubles team of Mary Haley and Brooke Sandridge earlier this season.

“We were awful,” Haley said. “When I was on my game, she was off. It was a long process for us.”

That long process, which included a 2-4 regular-season doubles record, resulted in a state berth and runner-up honors at the Division II district tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason on Saturday. No one was more surprised than the CJ state qualifiers.

“It gives me chills just thinking about going to state,” Haley, a senior, said. “The whole reason we decided to play doubles was that we thought we had a better chance to make it to districts, we never even thought about state.”

Sandridge and Haley played first and second singles, respectively, for the Eagles during the regular season. They teamed up for two doubles tournaments.

“Their results weren’t great in those tournaments,” CJ coach Jim Brook said. “But one thing that has to happen for a good doubles team is developing chemistry and that has been happening all along for them.”

The CJ duo had a three-set semifinal win over Wyoming’s Tess Thoresen and Ashley Berg, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2. And despite losing their final match to the top-seeded Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy team of Dominique Baxter and Holly Dahmus (6-1, 4-6, 6-4), there were still plenty of laughs and high-fives.

Statebound Jills: For the first time in six years, the Oakwood girls’ tennis team has multiple state qualifiers. Senior Christina Corbean will make her first trip to state after finishing second to Country Day’s Danielle Wolf in the DII district singles final. Qualifying to state was rewarding but playing on center court at the site of the Western & Southern Open was also a thrill.

“I was so excited just walking out there,” Corbean said. “So many famous people have played on that court.”

Corbean will be joined at state by teammates Anne Connelly and Jackie White, who will be making a return trip to the DII doubles tournament as a No. 3 seed. The Jills beat Thoresen and Berg to clinch the third seed.

“As good as the players are here, just getting out of the Southwest District is huge,” Oakwood coach Kim Gilbert said. “I think their experience will give them an advantage at state.”

Division I: Springboro sophomore Aundrea Busse and junior Julie Brockman wanted to win. Making history was a bonus. The Panthers won the Division I district doubles title Saturday at Centerville High School and in doing so became the first Springboro girls tennis players to qualify to state since the mid 1990s.

“It had been such a long time, I’m not even sure these girls were born when it happened last,” Springboro coach Tom Harrison said.

The Springboro duo defeated Mason’s Nina Cepeda and Lynn Kelly, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, for the D-I doubles title. Ursuline sophomore Mehvish Safdar captured the D-I singles title.

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