Eyes on the prize
High school state tournaments continued Friday in tennis, track and baseball,
Alice Hsu doesn’t let the pressure get to her.
The freshman at Edmond North performs like a senior. Even with students packing the stands and shouting through the netting between points, it doesn’t bother Hsu.
North’s No. 1 singles player cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 Class 6A quarterfinal victory Friday at Oklahoma City Tennis Center against Edmond Memorial’s Olivia Orgill. Hsu was sharp, hitting strong serves, making good returns and not letting the pressure of the rivalry get to her.
Even as she got closer to victory and the games became more important, she stayed composed. It’s something North coach Mike Lewis said makes her stand out.
“Alice is young, but she’s really good,” Lewis said. “None of my players have been to state, so they’re just walking in and playing. She’s so mentally tough that she can handle the situation.”
Hsu is now 26-6 on the season. A three seed at the state tournament, Hsu will face second-seeded Issabelle Pensaville from Jenks in the semifinals on Saturday morning.
Pensaville beat Enid’s Alexa Garcia 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
Both of Edmond North’s singles players and doubles tandems will play in the semifinals on Saturday morning. Tulsa Kelley and Bixby also advanced all of their state qualifiers to the semifinals.
Classen SAS duo continue undefeated seasons
The Classen SAS duo of Sofia Acuna and Aimee Pham are continuing their pursuit of perfection.
Acuna, the Comets’ No. 1 singles player, and Pham, the No. 2 singles player, both won twice to advance to the semifinals. Acuna and Pham also continued their undefeated seasons, as they’re both 16-0 heading into the final day of the year.
Acuna, a freshman, had no issue in either of her Friday matches. She won her first-round match 6-1, 6-0 before a 6-3, 6-0 quarterfinal victory against Riverfield’s Paige Williams, who double-bageled her first-round opponent.
Acuna’s serves were strong, and she placed the ball in spots that Williams was unable to return.
For Pham, a senior, she double bageled her first-round opponent before a 6-0, 6-1 win in the quarterfinals against Tulsa Lincoln Christian’s Victoria Brown.
Pham recorded numerous aces in her quarterfinal match and used the wind to her advantage, placing the ball at spots that were impossible for Brown to return a volley.
Acuna will face second-seeded Beth Bayless of Tulsa Regent Prep in the semifinals on Saturday morning while Pham will face third-seeded Elle Calcik from Riverfield.
Ludlam, Vo send Deer Creek doubles to semis
Deer Creek’s duo of Paige Ludlam and Heily Vo grinded out a three-set win against Stillwater at No. 2 doubles.
Ludlam and Vo captured the first set, 6-3, and played strong through the second set but fell, 4-6. In the third, the teams had big swings of momentum early, but Ludlam and Vo were able to close strong and secure the third set, 6-3.
They were the only Deer Creek players to advance to the semifinals. Ludlam and Vo will face the top-ranked Tulsa Kelley duo on Saturday morning.
Heritage Hall’s Thompson continues cruising
Brooke Thompson continues to showcase why she’s considered one of the top girls players in the state.
The senior at Heritage Hall cruised during her two matches Friday to easily get into the semifinals. Thompson lost only three games during her two matches against Piedmont’s Paytin McEwan and McGuinness’ Olivia La Forge.
Thompson, who is now 27-0 this season, will face Lawton Eisenhower’s Genevieve Young in the semifinals Saturday morning.