Tennis semifinals move to Glendale on Friday
By Raymundo Frasquillo
GLENDALE – The Glendale Paseo Racquet Center, 6268 West Thunderbird Road, is the site of the Division III team semifinals on Friday, May 8, and the final on Saturday, May 9.
All four semifinalists have been finalists since 2012, when three divisions were established. Pusch Ridge has been a finalist five times with four titles, Yuma Catholic once with no titles, and both Rancho Solano Prep and Cicero Prep are first-time semifinalists.
A high ranking does not guarantee a state title. The top seed has made it to the final eight times, winning twice, No. 1 Miami 5-3 over No. 10 Phoenix Country Day and No. 1 Scottsdale Prep 5-1 over No. 2 Thatcher in 2021. Sixth-ranked PCDS upset No. 1 Miami 5-2 in 2012, No. 3 Buckeye Union upset No. 1 Miami 5-2 in 2013, No. 7 Benson upset No. 1 Safford 5-4 in 2014, No. 2 Pusch Ridge upset No. 1 Thatcher by identical 5-2 scores in 2017 and 2019, and No. 2 Scottsdale Prep upset No. 1 PCDS 5-2 in 2024.
The top two teams have met four times in that 13-year span (no tourney in 2020), in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2024. The top seed prevailed over the second seed once in 2021. Third-ranked Pusch Ridge was a 0-5 runner-up to No. 5 PCDS in 2023.
Division III State Team Tourney Semifinals (May 8)
The state team tourney semifinals have top-seeded Yuma Catholic (14-0, 18.6524 rating) hosting No. 5 Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep (11-1, 12.8208) at 1 p.m. in the upper bracket.
The lower bracket has No. 2 Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (12-2, 14.6275) hosting No. 6 Scottsdale Cicero Prep (10-1, 12.2647) at 2 p.m.
Division III State Team Tourney Quarterfinals (May 5)
The state team tourney quarterfinals had top seed Yuma Catholic (14-0 seeding, 18.6524 rating) defeating No. 8 Tucson’s The Gregory School (10-2, 9.2314) 5-0 and No. 5 Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep (11-1, 12.8208) upsetting No. 4 Thatcher (11-1, 13.2970) 5-1 in the upper bracket.
The lower bracket had No. 6 Scottsdale Cicero Prep (10-1, 12.2647) upsetting No. 3 Phoenix Country Day School (11-2, 13.5498) 5-4 and No. 2 Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (12-2, 14.6275) defeating No. 10 Florence (11-3, 5.9188) 5-1.
No. 1 Yuma Catholic – 5, No. 8 The Gregory School – 0
It was Yuma Catholic top seed senior Ellie Sundt over freshman Sofia Gallegos (6-2, 6-1), No. 2 senior Annie Scarborough over sophomore Layla Lizon (6-3, 6-4), No. 3 junior Chloe Dammeyer over freshman Vivianna Moore (6-1 twice), No. 4 junior Abigail McKenna Olsen versus senior Anacelia Moore (3-6, 4-3) not completed, No. 5 sophomore Paloma Smith over senior Lauren Horowitz (6-1 twice), and No. 6 junior Claire Olsen over senior Amanda Piper (6-1 twice).
No. 5 Rancho Solano Prep – 5, No. 4 Thatcher – 1
Five sophomores and a freshman upset four seniors and two juniors. Individual scores were not entered.
The pairings were Rancho Solano Prep top seed sophomore Maya Litt versus senior Sophie Haynie, No. 2 freshman Noemie Delacollette vs. junior Sarah Sampson, No. 3 sophomore Chloe Okrasinki vs. senior Leah Bryce, No. 4 sophomore Sydney Hedges vs. senior Katie Bastian, No. 5 sophomore Aleya Chahal vs. junior Jaiden Wakefield, and No. 6 sophomore Jacqueline Schatzberg vs. senior Savanna Kartchner.
No. 6 Cicero Prep – 5, No. 3 Phoenix Country Day – 4
The No. 6 Cicero Prep Centurions upset the No. 3 Phoenix Country Day School Eagles 5-4 in Paradise Valley.
It was Cicero Prep No. 4 freshman Ann Nichols over senior Jessica Reitler (6-2, 6-0), No. 5 freshman Ali Leinbach over sophomore Mira Bucks (6-0 twice), and No. 6 junior Camila Acharya over sophomore Rosie Raskin (6-1, 6-0).
In doubles, it was No. 1 Carbone – Hermenau 8-4 over Campbell – Bartolino and No. 2 Bostwick – Reitler 8-6 over Black – Acharya.
For Phoenix Country Day, it was No. 1 senior Hailey Bostwick over senior Zara Campbell (6-2, 6-0), No. 2 junior Bryn Hermenau over sophomore Mary Bartolino (6-1 twice), and No. 3 senior Bianca Carbone over senior Lexi Black (6-0, 6-4).
In doubles, it was No. 3 Nichols – Leinbach 8-0 over Bucks – sophomore Gracyn Church.
No. 2 Pusch Ridge – 5, No. 10 Florence – 1
It was Pusch Ridge singles top seed sophomore Taryn Martin over senior Tatiana McKissack (6-1, 6-3), No. 2 junior Micaela Nagel over sophomore Elizabeth Gurule (6-1, 6-2), No. 4 junior Noelle Sunukjian over senior Nicole Erhard (6-0, 6-2), No. 5 senior Melaney Johnson over senior Erin Mcabe (7-6, 2-6, 11-9), and No. 6 senior Pearl Kulvatonyou over junior Sophia Billingsley (6-4, 6-1).
For Florence, it was singles No. 3 senior Lexi Hoffman over senior Brady Imes (6-0, 6-4).
Division III State Singles Tourney Championship (May 4)
Second-ranked Scottsdale Prep senior Noelle Oh defeated No. 9 Cicero Prep senior Hailey Bostwick (6-3, 6-1) for the title at the Glendale Paseo Racquet Center on May 4.
Oh (5-0) defeated Gilbert Christian senior Sophia Kiesow (6-3, 2-6, 10-7) in the first round and The Gregory School sophomore Layla Lizon (6-0, 6-3) in the second round, and No. 7 Gilbert Classical junior Martina Adsara Criscuolo (6-0, 6-2) in the quarterfinals and No. 6 No. 6 Yuma Catholic freshman Sofia Gallegos (6-3, 6-4) during the semifinals.
Bostwick (4-1) defeated Tanque Verde freshman Maddie Glickenstein (6-1, 6-0) during the first round and Pusch Ridge junior Noelle Sunukjian (6-1, 6-2) during the second round on May 1, and No. 1 Saint John Paul II sophomore Ania Piatek (6-2 twice) during the quarterfinals and Scottsdale Christian sophomore Angela Soria (6-2 twice) during the semifinals on May 2.
Fifth ranked Benson junior Lucy Cooper (1-1) downed Ranch Solano Prep sophomore Sydney Hedges (6-3, 6-4) in the first round and fell to No. 6 Yuma Catholic freshman Sofia Gallegos (6-0 twice) in the second round; Thatcher junior Jaiden Wakefield (1-1) defeated Tombstone senior Abigail Satterfield (6-1 twice) and fell to Gallegos (6-0, 6-1) in the second round.
First round exits were made by Thatcher senior Savanna Kartchner (0-1) to Phoenix Country Day senior Zara Campbell (6-0 twice) and Miami senior Adrina Kaulaity (0-1) to No. 6 Yuma Catholic freshman Sofia Gallegos (6-0 twice).
Division III State Doubles Tourney Championship (May 4)
Second-ranked Cicero Prep senior Bianca Carbone and junior Bryn Hermenau defeated No. 1 Rancho Solano Prep sophomores Maya Litt and Chloe Okrasinski 13-11 in a tiebreaker, after splitting 6-4 and 3-6 for the title on May 4.
Carbone – Hermenau (5-0) defeated NWC junior Hallie Metzger – freshman Joey Metzger (6-3, 6-0) in the first round and ALA – West Foothills sophomore Tayte Eastman – freshman Ansley Myers (6-3, 6-1) in the second round, and No. 7 Yuma Catholic juniors Abigail Olsen – Claire Olsen (6-3, 6-1) in the quarterfinals and No. 3 Thatcher senior Sophie Haynie – junior Sarah Sampson (6-3, 6-1) in the semifinals.
Litt – Okrasinski (4-1) defeated Safford junior Iris Green – sophomore Emma Rodriguez (6-0 twice) in the first round and PCDS freshmen Ann Nichols – Ali Leinbach (6-2 twice) in the second round, and Thatcher seniors Leah Bryce – Katie Bastian (6-1, 6-0) ion the quarterfinals and ALA – West Foothills sophomore Laura Fedoryshyn – freshman Ashlyn Myers 7-6 (7-2) and 6-1 in the semifinals.
Third ranked Haynie – Sampson (3-1) defeated Rancho Solano Prep sophomores Aleya Chahal – Jacqueline Schatzberg (6-2, 6-0) in the first round and Pusch Ridge seniors Brady Imes – Pearl Kulvaton (6-3, 6-2)in the second round, and PCDS sophomore Mary Bartolin – senior Lexi Black by default in the quarterfinals and fell to Cicero Prep senior Bianca Carbone – junior Bryn Hermenau (6-3, 6-1) in the semifinals.
Thatcher seniors Leah Bryce – Katie Bastian (2-1) defeated Scottsdale Prep sophomores Ciana Mattingly – Shreya Joshi (6-4, 6-2) in the first round and No. 8 Tanque Verde junior Jeannie McCallum – sophomore Mally McCallum (6-4 twice) in the second round, and fell to No. 1 Rancho Solano Prep sophomores Maya Litt – Chloe Okrasinski (6-1, 6-0) in the quarterfinals.
First round exits were made by Safford junior Iris Green – sophomore Emma Rodriguez (0-1) to No. 1 Rancho Solano Prep sophomores Maya Litt – Chloe Okrasinski; Thatcher seniors Leah Bryce – Katie Bastian (0-1) to Scottsdale Prep sophomores Ciana Mattingly – Shreya Joshi (6-4, 6-2); Duncan senior Emely Evans – junior McKenzie Jones (0-1) to ALA – West Foothills sophomore Laura Fedoryshyn – freshman Ashlyn Myers (6-1 twice); Duncan juniors Lily Ford – Heidi Miller (0-1) to PCDS sophomore Mary Bartolin – senior Lexi Black (6-3, 6-4); Pima junior Ashley Hughes – senior Merrill DeCrow (0-1) to Amthem Prep junior Adalynn Frye – sophomore Amizhthene Thirumaran (6-4, 6-1); and Globe sophomores Liza Shank – Carlee Van Buskirk (0-1) to ALA – West Foothills sophomore Tayte Eastman – freshman Ansley Myers (6-2, 6-1).
Division III State Team Tourney Round 1 (April 28)
The state team tourney, including the Top 16 of 49, met for the first round on April 28. It was top seed Yuma Catholic (14-0 seeding, 18.6524 rating) 6-0 over No. 16 Pima (7-4, 2.3710), No. 8 Tucson’s The Gregory School (10-2, 9.2314) 5-0 over No. 9 Safford (11-4, 7.3462), the No. 5 Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep (11-1, 12.8208) 6-0 over the No. 12 Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic (10-4, 4.5973), and No. 4 Thatcher (11-1, 13.2970) 5-0 over No. 13 Anthem Prep (7-2, 4.1655) in the upper bracket.
The lower bracket had No. 3 Phoenix Country Day School (11-2, 13.5498) 5-1 over No. 14 Waddell American Leadership – West Foothills (6-4, 3.4249), No. 6 Scottsdale Cicero Prep (10-1, 12.2647) 5-1 over No. 11 Scottsdale Christian (7-4, 5.5375), No. 10 Florence (11-3, 5.9188) 5-4 over No. 7 Gilbert Christian (10-1, 10.1482), and No. 2 Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (12-2, 14.6275) 5-1 over No. 15 Glendale Prep (8-6, 2.5184).
Division III State Final Rankings
The state final rankings as of 7 a.m. on Thursday, April 23 were Yuma Catholic (14-0 seeding, 18.6524 rating) No. 1, Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (12-2, 14.6275) No. 2, Phoenix Country Day School (11-2, 13.5498) No. 3, Thatcher (11-1, 13.2970) No. 4, Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep (11-1, 12.8208) No. 5, Scottsdale Cicero Prep (10-1, 12.2647) No. 6, Gilbert Christian Knights (10-1, 10.1482) No. 7, and Tucson’s The Gregory School Hawks (10-2, 9.2314) No. 8. Safford (11-4, 7.3462) was No. 9, Florence (11-3, 5.9188) No. 10, Scottsdale Christian (7-4, 5.5375) No. 11, Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic (10-4, 4.5973) No. 12, Anthem Prep (7-2, 4.1655) No. 13, Waddell American Leadership – West Foothills (6-4, 3.4249) No. 14, Glendale Prep (8-6, 2.5184) No. 15, and Pima (7-4, 2.3710) No. 16.
