Sports&Recreation
Lauren Dellon isn’t ready to call it the highlight of her senior year at Bellbrook High School
But it has to be in the top two or three.
She became one of the few tennis players in school history to repeat as the No. 1 singles champion in the Southwestern Division of the Southwestern Buckeye League.
Not only did she take the championship, but also she defeated an Oakwood player in the final.
“Extremely satisfying,” is how Dellon described her 6-4, 7-5 win over Anne Connelly of Oakwood in the SWBL title match Oct. 3
Anytime Bellbrook defeats Oakwood in any sport, there is a good feeling. In girls tennis, however, the gratification is magnified because Oakwood players have dominated all aspects of tennis for decades.
Dellon followed up her SWBL title by defeating Connelly 6-1, 6-1 to take third place in the Dayton Division II sectional Oct. 10.
“I’ve had a good year,” said Dellon. “I’m a more confident player than I was last year. My service game is stronger. I’m getting in position quicker to set up for my returns, and my ground strokes are better.”
A work in progress
Dellon began working with tennis pro Scott Shope of the Kettering Tennis Center/Quail Run Club in February.
“The biggest change we made in her game was to help her get top spin on her ground strokes,” Shope said. “She was hitting the ball pretty flat.
“That caused a lot of unforced errors and set up her opponent for some hard returns. By getting more spin on both her forehand and backhand it has taken away most of the errors and made it tough to return her shots.”
Shope also worked with Dellon on better lateral quickness and game awareness.
“Lauren is a very intelligent player who really thinks through every point,” he said. “She’s not a big girl who is going to overpower someone.
“Quickness has always been one of her strengths. We added the drills to add quickness and a little more balance. So she’s able to get her spot and setup faster. It’s made a big difference in her game.”
Dellon is carrying a 4.0 GPA and wants to major in chemical engineering at Ohio State or Purdue universities.
She was first team all-league. Teammates Erica Hopkins and Natasha Brewer were second team as singles players. The doubles team of Julie Bolibrzuch and Allison Emery were honorable mention.
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