One finalist is set for each of the girls singles and girls doubles matches in the 2nd Region tournament and all the state qualifiers have been determined following Thursday night’s regional tournament play at Ruff Park.
After being delayed an hour on Wednesday night, the girls did not get as far as had been planned with their first day of action, so Thursday afternoon began with three singles quarterfinals and all four doubles quarterfinals yet to be played.
The only player to have reached the semifinals and already qualified for the opening round of state tournament play in Bowling Green coming into the day was Madisonville’s Kiley DeMoss, who won her quarterfinal match Wednesday night.
Singles play Thursday saw Caldwell County’s Ella Johnson roll to a straight set win over Ashtyn Agnew, of Henderson County. Johnson took the match 6-1, 6-1 and moved on to the semifinals and clinched a berth in the state tennis tournament.
Josie Cardwell, of Webster County, the #2 seed coming into the tournament moved into the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Allison Deibler, of Union County. Cardwell also clinched a state tournament berth with her win.
Those two decided to go ahead and play their semifinal match against each other Thursday evening. Cardwell came out strong and took the opening set 6-3. Cardwell finished as strong as she started, taking the second set 6-2 to move into Friday night’s singles championship.
The other quarterfinal match in singles play, turned out to be the match of the night. Caldwell County’s Paisley Hooks rolled through the opening set of her match against UHA’s Allie Sandifer, taking the set 6-1. Sandifer then regrouped and battled back to win a long second set 6-6 (8-6). The set featured a back-and forth tiebreaker where both players had their chances before Sandifer took the win to even the match at one set each.
In the tiebreaking third set, Sandifer ran out to a 5-1 lead, only to see Hooks battle back to even the set at 5-5, from there it was back and forth until Sandifer scored the final two points of the set to take an 11-9 win and move on to the regional semifinals and clinch her state tournament berth.
Sandifer will now play Kiley DeMoss in a semifinal match Friday, with the winner to take on Josie Cardwell a short time later.
In doubles play, the Madisonville-North Hopkins pairing of Cadence Curry and Addyson Raymer rolled through their quarterfinal match against Olivia Carr and Tori Morris. The Lady Maroon duo took the match 6-2, 6-2, to move on to the semifinals and the state tournament.
Caldwell County’s Troy Freeman and Meleah Greenfield cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win over the Fort Campbell duo of Abigail Allen and Grace Stultz. The win moves them into the semifinals against Curry and Raymer Friday afternoon and gets them a berth in the state tournament.
Caldwell County had a second duo move into the semis and into the state tournament Thursday evening as Jayden Lamb and Paysen Menser picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win over the Webster County pairing of Caila Clary and Ella Rakestraw. The Caldwell pair advanced on to the semifinals, with the automatic state tournament berth, against the Hopkins County Central duo of Lilly Armour and Avery Adams.
Adams and Armour had advanced into the semifinals, and the state tournament with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Christian County’s Addison Renshaw and Emerson Boyd. The Hopkins County Central duo then moved into Friday’s championship match with a 7-6, 6-1 win over Lamb and Menser.
The girls tournament will have one semifinal in each singles and doubles to play, along with the championship matches Friday. The guys will play semifinals and championships in both singles and doubles. Play begins at 4:30pm Friday at Ruff Park.
