“It’s a big relief because I know, even if I don’t play my best tennis on Saturday, I’m still moving on,” McCloskey said.
Despite posting 23 wins during the regular season and earning the sectional tournament’s No. 1 singles seeding, the Oakwood first singles player still had nerves to contend with on Thursday.
“I tried not to think about the seedings and just have fun with it,” she said. “It was nice having my teammates there to cheer me on and being able to cheer them on as well.”
McCloskey’s confidence has grown with each match and each win this season. At 26-1, she would like nothing more than to add to that total.
She may face a familiar foe as Oakwood teammate Natalie Connelly also advanced to the semifinals. Both freshmen, McCloskey and Connelly also play tennis together at KTC Quail.
“We’re really good friends and we know each other really well,” Connelly said.
Connelly posted a 6-0, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Alter’s Mary Stier late Thursday and, much like McCloskey, the Jills second singles player was relieved.
“Getting to this point, there’s definitely some pressure,” she said. “But it’s also really exciting because I’ve never done this before.”
If both McCloskey and Connelly post semifinal wins Saturday, it will be an all-Oakwood final.
“I think it’s a bit harder to play someone you know so well,” Connelly said. “There won’t be many surprises if that happens.”
•Doubles: Of the four doubles semifinal berths, only one has been determined as Alter's Rachel Hawley and Emily Pojman topped Valley View's Skylar Shane and Summer Staiger, 6-0, 6-1, in the quarterfinals before play was stopped. Fellow Knights Maria Pilati and Sara Yacoub will play second-seeded Olivia Shrager and Janine Quigley, of Miami Valley, in a 2:30 p.m. quarterfinal match Friday at the Miami Valley School.
Oakwood has a chance to send two more players to the district tournament as sophomores Sophie Schnell and Sidney Purks will play Zoey Collins and Shaylee Neal, of Preble Shawnee. Top-seeded Chaminade Julienne seniors Olivia Boch and Lydia Bice will face Preble Shawnee juniors Lauren Smith and Jane Feck. Both matches get underway at 4 p.m. Friday at Miami Valley.
•Division I: The D-I sectional tennis tournament gets underway Friday at 9 a.m. at Centerville High School. Both the D-1 and D-II semifinals and finals will be played on Saturday at 9 a.m. at Centerville.
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