Hartman, Sherman oust familiar foes in state doubles

IOWA CITY – In tournament tennis, it always helps to know your opponent.

Senior Lilly Hartman and sophomore Hannah Sherman of Cedar Rapids Washington ousted doubles teams from fellow Mississippi Valley Conference schools Cedar Falls and Iowa City West Thursday and advanced to the semifinals of the Class 2A girls' tennis state tournament at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex.

'We played them earlier in the season,” Hartman said of facing Cedar Falls' Becky Hughes and Ariana Mitra in the first round. 'We had a good match with them, so we knew it was going to be a tough match and we just needed to come out focused and prepared. But it helps knowing your opponent a little bit.”

Hartman was on point with her serve all day and both she and Sherman played strong at the net as they sent the Cedar Falls pair and Megan Jans and Abby Jans of Iowa City West to the consolation bracket by identical scores of 6-2, 6-1.

'I knew that they're both really talented singles players and great groundstrokers,” Sherman said of the Jans sisters. 'So we thought that if we were able to come to the net and close them down a little bit, then they might get frustrated.”

Hartman is in the state doubles semifinals for the second time in three years, including a state runner-up finish in 2013.

The Jans sisters were first-round winners after a 6-0, 6-1 opener over Angelynn Chleborad and Cati Kalinoksi of West Des Moines Dowling.

In the singles bracket, second-seed Eve Small of Iowa City High cruised to the semifinals with a pair of comfortable wins. The senior opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Morgan Streff of Dubuque Hempstead, then ousted Lewis Central's Abby Bergstein in the quarterfinal, 6-1, 6-0.

'It was to play as though both of them were the finals,” Small said of her mindset. 'No matter who you're playing, you should always play as best as you possibly can and as you'd want to play if it were the finals of the state tournament.”

Small is now a state singles semifinalist for the fourth year in a row. After finishing third as a freshman, she was state runner-up in each of the past two seasons.

'The wins are great, they make you happy, they make you confident,” Small said. 'But in all honesty you learn so much more from the losses. I have been prepping since the day state ended last year.”

Small will face Bettendorf sophomore Emilia Porubcin in the semifinal Friday at 10 a.m.

'She's a very, very consistent player,” Small said. 'Very good feet. Very solid game.”

Should she advance, it could set up a rematch of last season's state title match with defending champion Chloe Jefferies of West Des Moines Valley. Jefferies advanced to the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-4 win against Cedar Rapids Prairie sophomore Vale Caro.

Caro reached the quarterfinals with a 7-6, 7-5 win over Becca Aleynik of Sioux City North.

At the Class 1A state tournament at Prairie Ridge Sports Complex in Ankeny, Cedar Rapids Xavier advanced three to the semifinals – Allison Jasper (singles) and twin sisters Jeanne and Claire Bouchard (doubles).

2015 STATE TOURNAMENT

CLASS 2A

At Iowa City

(Hawkeye Tennis Complex)

SINGLES

Championship Bracket

First Round -

Chloe Jefferies (WDM Valley) def. Jennifer Greif (C.R. Washington) 6-0, 6-1; Vale Caro (C.R. Prairie) def. Becca Aleynik (Sioux City North) 7-6, 7-5; Lily Feldman (Pleasant Valley) def. Innes Hicsasmaz (Iowa City High) 6-1, 6-0; Alex Kozlowski (D.M. Roosevelt) def. Olivia Coe (Ankeny Centennial) 6-4, 6-2; Judith Fan (Ames) def. Cali Andersen (WDM Dowling) 6-2, 6-0; Emilia Porubcin (Bettendorf) def. Kelly King (C.R. Washington) 6-0, 6-1; Abby Bergsten (Lewis Central) def. Shivani Kumaresan (D.M. Roosevelt) 6-1, 1-6, 6-2; Eve Small (Iowa City High) def. Morgan Streff (Dubuque Hempstead) 6-0, 6-0.

Quarterfinals -

Jefferies (WDM Valley) def. Caro (C.R. Prairie) 6-1, 6-4; Feldman (Pleasant Valley) def. Kozlowski (D.M. Roosevelt) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Emilia Porubcin (Bettendorf) def. Fan (Ames) 6-2, 6-4; Small (Iowa City High) def. Bergsten (Lewis Central) 6-1, 6-0.

Consolation Bracket

(Area only)

First Round -

Greif (C.R. Washington) def. Hicsasmaz (Iowa City High) 6-2, 6-4; King (C.R. Washington) def. Streff (Dubuque Hempstead) 4-6, 6-0, 1-0.

Quarterfinals -

Bergsten (Lewis Central) def. Greif (C.R. Washington) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0; Caro (C.R. Prairie) def. King (C.R. Washington) 6-4, 6-2.

DOUBLES

Championship Bracket

First Round -

Mary Hill/Eren Sagun (D.M. Roosevelt) def. Karleigh Schilling/Anna Postnikov (C.R. Prairie) 6-1, 6-0; Beth Murman/Emily Knight (Fort Dodge) def. Dina Kajtazovic/Tina Kajtazovic (Waterloo West) 6-2, 6-3; Kelsie Peterson/Lauren Hoffart (WDM Valley) def. Susanna Gianola/Bihotza James-Lejarcegui (Iowa City High) 6-3, 7-6; Katie Melbourne/Allison Miller (Pleasant Valley) def. Gracie Benton/Madeline Jannes (D.M. Lincoln) 6-1, 6-1; Lilly Hartman/Hannah Sherman (C.R. Washington) def. Becky Hughes/Ariana Mitra (Cedar Falls) 6-2, 6-1; Megan Jans/Abby Jans (Iowa City West) def. Angelynn Chleborad/Cati Kalinoksi (WDM Dowling) 6-0, 6-1; Eisha Nathwani/Sheyna Nathwani (Johnston) def. Samantha Brisch/Riley Hubbart (Clinton) 6-0, 6-0; Abby Reis/Brynn Reichardt (Urbandale) def. Ellena Wolff/Madeline George (Dubuque Senior) 6-0, 6-0.

Quarterfinals -

Hill/Sagun (D.M. Roosevelt) def. Murman/Knight (Fort Dodge) 6-1, 6-0; Peterson/Hoffart (WDM Valley) def. Melbourne/Miller (Pleasant Valley) 6-1, 6-1; Hartman/Hannah Sherman (C.R. Washington) def. M. Jans/A. Jans (Iowa City West) 6-2, 6-1; E. Nathwani/S. Nathwani (Johnston) def. Reis/Reichardt (Urbandale) 6-1, 6-3.

Consolation Bracket

(Area only)

First Round -

Schilling/Postnikov (C.R. Prairie) def. Gianola/James-Lejarcegui (Iowa City High) 7-5, 4-6, 1-0.

Quarterfinals

- E. Nathwani/S. Nathwani (Johnston) def. Schilling/Postnikov (C.R. Prairie) 6-1, 6-3; M. Jans/A. Jans (Iowa City West) def. D. Kajtazovic/T. Kajtazovic (Waterloo West) 7-5, 7-6.

CLASS 1A

At Ankeny

(Prairie Ridge Sports Complex)

SINGLES

Championship Bracket

First Round -

Mara Pirscoveanu (Denison-Schleswig) def. Stephanie Wills (Burlington Notre Dame) 6-0, 6-0; Jana King (Glenwood) def. Audrey Hinz (Dubuque Wahlert) 6-3, 6-3; Hannah Fox (Waverly-Shell Rock) def. Maddie Parker (Camanche) 6-3, 6-1; Lily Hamilton (Grinnell) def. Liz Nimmo (Norwalk) 6-1, 6-1; Allison Jasper (C.R. Xavier) def. Amber Schwarting (Osage) 6-0, 6-0; Haley Schneiderman (Aplington-Parkersburg) def. Emily Jurgensen (Ballard) 6-1, 6-1; Emily Ahlers (LeMars) def. Dia Huggins (Fairfield Maharishi) 6-2, 7-5; Kate Walker (Red Oak) def. Lily Roozeboom (Pella) 6-0, 6-1.

Quarterfinals -

Pirscoveanu (Denison-Schleswig) def. King (Glenwood) 6-1, 6-0; Hamilton (Grinnell) def. Fox (Waverly-Shell Rock) 6-1, 6-4; Jasper (C.R. Xavier) def. Schneiderman (Aplington-Parkersburg) 6-1, 6-2; Walker (Red Oak) def. Ahlers (LeMars) 6-4, 6-0.

Consolation Bracket

(Area only)

First Round -

Maddie Parker (Camanche) def. Wills (Burlington Notre Dame) 6-0, 6-2.

Quarterfinals -

Ahlers (LeMars) def. Parker (Camanche) 6-0, 6-0; Hannah Fox (Waverly-Shell Rock) def. Huggins (Fairfield Maharishi) 6-3, 6-1.

DOUBLES

Championship Bracket

First Round -

Olivia Fain/Lauren McManus (Waterloo Columbus) def. Maddie Krumm/Kiara Petersen (Grinnell) 6-1, 6-2; Kayla Rogers/Sarah Cabeen (Clarinda) def. Lakyn Boltz/Alexis Kemp (Keokuk) 7-5, 6-1; Alli Thomsen/Jenna Taylor (Creston/Orient-Macksburg) def. Amber Hrabik/Jackie Ingram (Denison-Schleswig) 6-1, 6-4; Chelsea Poesch/Kayla Reusche (Waverly-Shell Rock) def. Page Edens/Alexa Devries (Camanche) 6-2, 6-2; Claire Bouchard/Jeanne Bouchard (C.R. Xavier) def. Caitlin McIlravy/Sydney Dunphy (Creston/Orient-Macksburg) 7-6, 6-1; Ryan Petievich/Hanna Schoning (Spirit Lake) def. Megan Miller/Hannah Carr (Charles City) 7-6, 6-4; Karlee Sinnott/Brianne Eighme (Waterloo Columbus) def. Andrea DeBruin/Rachel Tvedt (Pella Christian) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Micayla Taylor/Grace Blomstedt (Red Oak) def. Harley Cook/Karley Williams (Fairfield) 6-2, 6-0.

Quarterfinals -

Fain/McManus (Waterloo Columbus) def. Rogers/Cabeen (Clarinda) 6-1, 6-1; Poesch/Reusche (Waverly-Shell Rock) def. Thomsen/Jenna Taylor (Creston/Orient-Macksburg) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0; C. Bouchard/J. Bouchard (C.R. Xavier) def. Petievich/Schoning (Spirit Lake) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6; Taylor/Blomstedt (Red Oak) def. Sinnott/Eighme (Waterloo Columbus) 7-6, 6-1.

Consolation Bracket

(Area only)

First Round -

Boltz/Alexis Kemp (Keokuk) def. Edens/Devries (Camanche) 6-2, 6-3; Miller/Carr (Charles City) def. Cook/Williams (Fairfield) 6-3, 6-4.

Quarterfinals -

Kayla Rogers/Sarah Cabeen (Clarinda) def. Miller/Carr (Charles City) 6-3, 6-4.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com