STATE GIRLS: Liberty makes first finals appearance

A year ago, Liberty’s girls tennis team missed the playoffs with a 4-4 record in the Southeast League.

On Friday, the Patriots will play for the first state championship in program history.

Liberty handed Reno a 14-4 loss in a Class 4A state semifinal Thursday at Darling Tennis Center. The Patriots (17-0) will meet four-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman (16-0) for the title at 11 a.m. Friday at Darling.

“We’ve talked all season about not only representing our team, but representing our school,” Liberty coach Kih Gourrier said. “It’s not just a big victory for us, but for Liberty High School to start to build an athletic program.”

Liberty singles players Danae Ingwaldson, Sarah Lucas and Aphrah Brokaw all went 3-0.

Ingwaldson, a junior, said the Patriots realized during the season they were capable of reaching the state final.

“Last year, I didn’t think we would be able to,” said Ingwaldson, who surrendered only three games in her three sets Thursday. “But this year, through the course of the season, I thought we could because we’ve improved a lot. We have a lot of good freshmen, and our seniors have improved a lot.”

In doubles, Liberty’s Ashley Wao-Udin and Valerie Nesenhoener went 3-0, and Riki Aquino and Marlee Moi Moi were 2-1.

Though Gourrier said balance has keyed the Patriots’ postseason run, he was “extremely impressed” with the 9-0 showing in singles.

“Those girls, they take a lot of people by surprise,” he said. “There’s not anyone that they don’t go into a match (against) believing that they can’t beat.”

 

Gorman kept rolling along, dispatching Coronado, 14-4 behind 3-0 efforts in singles from Sarah Bessen and Taylor Larreau.

 

Anita Lee was 2-0 in singles for Gorman.

In doubles, the Gaels’ Michelle Shoen and Amanda Silvestri went 3-0, and Blair Bigelow and Michaele Sullivan were 2-1.

Liz Gibbons and Casey Thevenot finished 2-1 in doubles for Coronado (12-3).