Girls district tennis
What: Division I and II girls district tournament
Where: Lindner Family ATP Tennis Center, Mason
When: Thursday, 9 a.m. — Singles and doubles first round and quarterfinals; Saturday, 9 a.m. — Singles and doubles semifinals and finals.
State qualifiers: Four singles players and four doubles teams in each division qualify to the state tournament
Admission: $6 per day
GIRLS DISTRICT TENNIS
Area first-round match-ups
(Seedings in parentheses)
Division I
Singles: (1.) Hannah Essick, Troy vs. (4.) Lily O’Toole, Walnut Hills; (2.) Anke Patel, Springboro vs. (3.) Caroline Waddell, St. Ursula; (3.) Karli Mulkey, Tecumseh vs. (2.) Amanda Reinhart, Milford; (1.) Carley Sickinger, Miamisburg vs. (4.) Xia Lin, Butler; (2.) Marissa Anderson, Northmont vs. (3.) Ally Garofoli, Springboro.
Doubles: (1.) Ashley Bruns/Maggie Hennessy, Troy vs. (4.) Harsitha Kalaiarasan/Beverly Liu, Sycamore; (4.) Maddy Talbot/Alyssa McGarvey, Springboro vs. (1.) Caroline Gott/Sabine Worthoff, Mount Notre Dame; (3.) Katie Sherrick/Hailey Taylor, Troy vs. (2.) Sneha Kandi/Nicole Reid, Mason; (1.) Andrea Szep/Shea Foster, Bellbrook vs. (4.) Ashley Hess/Jenna Albezreh, Butler; (2.) Madison Peyton/Allison Baker, Butler vs. (3.) Jada Strickland/Mikenzie Hindenlang, Miamisburg.
Division II
Singles: (1.) Arian McNeil, Greenon vs. (4.) Kathryn Adam, Summit Country Day; (2.) Jillian Milano, Carroll vs. (3.) Megan Wu, Madeira; (4.) Brianna Douglas, Chaminade Julienne) vs. (1.) Mia Masterson, Cincinnati Country Day; (3.) Thaomy Tran, Northridge vs. (2.) Saskia Gobonya, Indian Hill; (1.) Kelly Pleiman, Chaminade Julienne vs. (4.) Cassandra Freshour, Kenton Ridge; (3.) Maddie Porter, Madison vs. (2.) Anna Abunku, CHCA; (2.) Laura Bowen, Brookville vs. (3.) Amanda Showalter, Alter.
Doubles: (1.) Addie Smith/Destanee Wilson, Northwestern vs. (4.) Jillian Blatt/Natalie Choo, Seven Hills; (2.) Olivia Schrager/Eleanor Lui, Miami Valley School vs. (3.) Krista Reid/Taylor Cardarelli, New Richmond; (4.) Lydia Bice/Morgan Summons, Chaminade Julienne vs. (1.) Noelle Van Den Heuvel/Anna Van Jura, CHCA; (3.) Ashley Wombold/Abby Hissong, Milton Union vs. (2.) Alana Saggar/Lauren Saggar, Seven Hills; (1.) Alexis Robinson/Olivia Boch, Chaminade Julienne vs. (4.) Alyssa Stewart/Ladia Coning, Tippecanoe; (2.) Macy Wallace/Olivia Sellars, Kenton Ridge vs. (3.) Vennela Vallabhaneni/Janine Quigley, Miami Valley School.
Time spent mastering pliés and relevés in ballet has helped Kelly Pleiman immensely with her serves and volleys.
The Chaminade Julienne three-time D-II sectional tennis champion will be vying for a return trip to state as the district tournament starts Thursday at the Lindner Family ATP Tennis Center in Mason. The Eagles senior started dancing when she was 3 and had advanced to pointe before shifting her focus exclusively to tennis by the seventh grade.
But while she traded her pointe shoes for tennis shoes, the years of rigorous dance training paid off.
“I think it helped my footwork and has helped me be light on my feet,” Pleiman said. “My flexibility, my balance and even my core strength — dance helped me with all of that.”
Pleiman, 18, is one of several seniors across the Miami Valley for whom it’s now-or-never time to make a return or, in some cases, first trip to the state tournament. GCL rivals Jillian Milano and Amanda Showalter finished second and third, respectively, at the D-II sectional tournament. All three competed at state last year with Milano edging Pleiman for the district title.
“I know this is my last chance to make my mark,” Pleiman said.
Seniors Arian McNeil, Greenon; Brianna Douglas, CJ; Cassandra Freshour, Kenton Ridge; and Laura Bowen, Brookville, will all compete in the D-II district in singles Thursday in hopes of extending their final high school season by a week.
Division I: Few know better than Carley Sickinger just how challenging it is to qualify to state. The Miamisburg senior, and three-time D-I sectional champion, has been a single win away from qualifying to state for the past three years.
“The pressure is definitely on because this is my last chance,” Sickinger said.
Sickinger has many accomplishments in her high school tennis career including a 52-0 record against GWOC foes and a 114-20 career record. The next two wins, however, are the ones that matter most, as they would ensure her of a coveted state berth.
“There is more of a drive, within myself, to win these matches since I haven’t in the past,” Sickinger said. “I will be training hard all week.”
Tough road: The Southwest District is always a challenge when it comes to girls' tennis. This season is no different.
Defending D-I singles state champion Emily Thomas, a junior from Cincinnati Princeton, is back in the mix as is Mount Notre Dame’s Kelli Niehaus, who placed fourth at state last year.
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