Southern Lehigh wins District 11 title
The last time the Southern Lehigh girls tennis team won a district title, Michelle Li and Erica Wang were freshmen.
For the past three years, the Spartans’ No. 2 and 3 players thirsted to once again hoist that District 11 Class 3A team trophy.
The pair of seniors fulfilled their goal on Saturday afternoon as both players sparked the third-seeded Spartans to a 3-0 victory over No. 5 Liberty at Southern Lehigh High School.
Li used a mix of aggressive forehands and consistent first serves in her No. 2 singles match against Angelique Ronca.
As a result, Li posted a convincing 6-0, 6-1 victory to give the Spartans an early lead.
“This is very sentimental because I won this as a freshman, and now again as a senior,” said Li, whoalso played No. 2 singles on the Spartans’ 2017 championship team. “Everything has come full circle over the years and I’m so proud to be a part of it, and to lift the trophy again.”
Wang was equally as impressive at No. 3 singles as she posted a 6-0, 6-1 win over Margeaux Donchez.
“We hit a lot over the summer and were very determined to go far this year,” Wang said. “There wasn’t
much we could do (during the pandemic) other than play tennis. Our team definitely improved from last year and we are all very excited.”
Seconds later, the Spartans clinched the match when the No. 1 doubles team of Kayla
Lebby-Kaitlyn Howie defeated Sruti Tekumalla-Sofia Horstmann, 6-3, 6-1.
At No. 1 singles, Liberty’s Veronica Lynn and Evelyn Wang were locked in a battle that Lynn led 7-5, 2-0. The two did not finish their match because the team score was already decided.
Lynn and Evelyn Wang played high quality points, which consisted of powerful groundstrokes and great court coverage. Both could potentially meet again in next week’s district doubles tournament.
Southern Le high now advances to the PIAAClass 3Atournament, which begins Oct. 26. Due to a reformatted bracket that consists of less teams, the Spartans will begin their state tournament in the quarterfinals. They will face offagainst the winner of District 4 andDistrict 6, whichis a favorable draw for District 11 compared to previous years.
“I’m so happy for the team. We have a strong singles lineup and it’s great to see our expectations fulfilled,” Southern Lehigh coach Andraea Drabenstott said. “We’re looking forward to having a good week of practice heading into states, where we have a great chance. It will be nice not having to see aDistrict 1 teamright away.”
While the Spartans improve their record to 13-2, Liberty coach Chris Conrad is more than satisfied with his team’s results, especially as of late.
The Hurricanes started the season with a 1-4 record before going on an eight-match win streak, which included two wins in the district tournament to reach the program’s first district team final. The ’Canes finish the season at 9-5.
SOUTHERN LEHIGH 3, LIBERTY 0
Singles: Veronica Lynn (L) vs. Evelyn Wang, 7-5, 2-0, DNF; Michelle Li (SL) over Angelique Ronca, 6-0, 6-1; Erica Wang (SL) over Margeaux Donchez, 6-0, 6-1.
Doubles: Kayla Lebby-Kaitlyn Howie (SL) over Sruti Tekumalla-Sofia Horstmann, 6-3, 6-1; Kayla Howie-Sophia Delp (SL) vs. Elise KneyHemani Patel.