Cedar Rapids Jefferson singles players, Washington doubles teams on to girls’ state tennis

CEDAR RAPIDS — Off the court, Cedar Rapids Jefferson freshman Lily Holland is soft-spoken.

Once the J-Hawk No. 1 player hits the court, it is a different story.

Holland lived up to her top-seeding at Wednesday's Class 2A regional meet at the Veterans Memorial Tennis Center. She dropped only three games in her three matches, capping off the day with a 6-0, 6-1 win over teammate Lily Schrenkengast in the championship match.

Both Jefferson players, along with all champions and runners-up from all regionals, advance to the state meet, May 26-27. Class 1A qualifiers will play at Byrnes Park in Waterloo with the 2A meet to be held at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City.

There was even less drama in the doubles competition on Wednesday at Vets. Defending state champions Kathryn Zylstra and Katelynn Kock of Cedar Rapids Washington lost just one game in their three matches, beating teammates Mya Messenger and Lily Belle Barker, 6-0, 6-1, in the final.

For Holland, there weren't a lot of words following her win, but the smile on her face told the story.

“It feels pretty good to be going to state,” she said. “I'm just real excited right now.”

Holland was the beneficiary of the decision made by Zylstra and Kock to play doubles.

“Yeah, it made me feel like I had better chances to win,” she said. “I'm most happy that I played my teammate (Schrenkengast) because that meant we both get to go to state.”

For Kock and Zylstra, Wednesday was the first step in their title defense.

“It was awesome, but they expected it,” said Washington Coach Nina Marquardt about the play of her top doubles team. “They've been working hard all season, not taking anything for granted. They go hard on every point.”

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Both Warrior standouts are top singles players as well and would have been state title contenders as individuals.

Kock said the thought of playing against her partner, and good friend, was not something she relished.

“I'm glad we get to do this again,” she said. “We've been friends for a very long time and the chance to get a title together means so much more.”

For Zylstra, the next few weeks will likely be the end of her competitive career. She is going to attend the University of Iowa in the fall and will not be playing tennis.

“It hasn't really hit me yet,” she said about the end of her career. “It is all still pretty normal right now but I am sure that will change the closer we get to the end of the season.”

More Iowa high school tennis regional results

In other 2A regional action Wednesday at Iowa City West, the host Trojans advanced two singles players and a doubles team to state. Senior Julianna Mascardo downed teammate Mohana Sunkara, 6-0, 6-1 in the singles final. West's doubles team of Maggie Shin and Alexandra Postnikov took second, falling to the Cedar Falls duo of Maya Mallavarape and Madison Sagers, 6-3, 6-2.

At Marshalltown, Iowa City Liberty's Ella Gilbert won the singles title, winning 6-4, 6-2 in the final over Mason City's Celie Matthews. Linn-Mar's duo of Kara Kueper and Lauren Steigerwaldt advanced to state, by finishing second at the Pleasant Valley regional.

Cedar Rapids Xavier advanced both singles entries and a doubles team in 1A regional play at Grinnell. Junior Avery Link downed senior teammate Ali Schuchmann, 6-1, 6-2 in the singles final. The doubles team of Isabel Tobin and Ruby Smith also advanced as the champion after losing the first set 7-5 and falling behind in the second, 5-0. They rallied for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 win over Grinnell's Leah Harris and Mary Jacobson in the final.

At Decorah, the Vikings' Evon Leitz advanced in singles while Annalise Skrade and Haley Gossman made the state field in doubles.