Title-holding teams secure victories in the 9th Region girls tennis singles and doubles finals.
In the heart of Kentucky's tennis season, the region finals have come to a thrilling conclusion, with the champions from the 9th and 8th Regions securing their spots at the state tournament.
In the 9th Region, Covington Catholic emerged victorious in the boys' final, defeating Beechwood with a decisive 3-0 score. Meanwhile, Notre Dame triumphed in the girls' final against Ryle, with a close 3-1 victory. The success of these teams ensures a return trip to the season finale for Covington Catholic boys and Notre Dame girls.
In the doubles category, Avery Love, a junior, and Niveditha Salvaraju, a freshman, from Ryle clinched the 9th Region girls doubles title with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win in the final. Their opponents, Cassidy Derry, a sophomore, and Isabella Norvell, a junior, from Dixie Heights, put up a valiant effort but were unable to match the winning duo's form.
The 9th Region also saw Kayla Johnson, a junior from Cooper, triumph in the girls' singles final against Sadie Jones from Beechwood with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
In the 8th Region, Gabrielle Browning and Hope Dupin, and Annika Derks and Natalie Lukey qualified for the girls' doubles. The 9th Region's qualifiers in both singles and doubles include Kayla Johnson, Julia Lyons, Eva Greene, and Sadie Jones for girls' singles, and Avery Love, Niveditha Salvaraju, Maggie Kute and Lyndsey Payne, Isabella Mcelwee and Malia Christensen for girls' doubles. The boys' doubles qualifiers are Kalei Christensen and Blake Hussey, Will Tribble and Jacob Kramer, Griffen Derry and Collin McClure, and Louis Schlosser and Isaac Macke.
The 9th Region's boys' singles qualifiers are Alex Yeager, Shayaan Ahmad, Neel Reddy, and Naveeth Selveraju. The 10th Region's qualifiers in girls' singles are Kaylin Lovell and Rylee Ritter, and in boys' doubles, Chris Wells and Cameron Wells.
Last year, no 9th Region's state tournament qualifiers made it to the quarterfinals in girls' singles or doubles. However, this year's champions are determined to make a mark at the University of Kentucky, where the state tournament will take place from May 27-29.
Coach Michael Steen, who leads the Notre Dame tennis team, will undoubtedly be hoping for a strong showing from his team at the state tournament. With the region finals behind them, the focus now shifts to the state tournament, where the champions will aim to make history and bring glory to their schools.
