Sherman comes through for Washington tennis

  ELDRIDGE – Hannah Sherman decided it was time to get aggressive.   The Cedar Rapids Washington freshman, locked in a battle with Iowa City High's Innes Hicsasmaz at No. 2 singles and having already dropped a quick opening set (6-2), was all that stood between the unbeaten Warriors advancing to the Class 2A team state semifinals in Ames – or letting the quarterfinal be decided by doubles play.   "I decided I just really had to turn it around," Sherman said after clinching a 5-1 victory for Washington over the Little Hawks Tuesday at North Scott High School.  "I decided just to play with nothing to lose and I went for more shots.  I guess they just started going in."   Knowing full well Washington's No. 1 singles player Lilly Hartman would have her hands full with last year's state singles runner-up Eve Small of City High, Sherman recognized she would be counted on to shake off the disappointing first set.   "I just decided that no matter what, I wouldn't get mad at myself," said Sherman, a member of the first team all-MVC Valley squad.  "I'd just work as hard as I could to be the last one to hit the ball in."   With her four victorious singles' teammates and Hartman rooting her on, Sherman made good on her private declaration.  With composure that belied her freshman status, she not only claimed the second set, 6-3, but rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the third-set tiebreaker by reeling off the final 10 points to send her team to Ames.   "She can just come back from anything and she's very calm out there," Washington Coach Liz Bertrand said.  "She knows what she's doing wrong and how to fix it.  I'm never really worried about her."   Between Hartman's 6-1, 6-0 loss to Small and Sherman's heroics, Washington (18-0) swept the other four singles' matches.  Rina Moore, Kelly King and Jennifer Greif took down a City High trio of second team all-MVC performers.  Moore bested Suzanne Gianola (6-1, 6-1), the freshman King made quick work of Kit Finley (6-0, 6-2) and Greif downed Lucy Wagner (6-0, 6-3).  Senior Callie Cook claimed the fourth singles' win of the day (6-2, 6-1) over Amelia Prybil.   "When it comes to team play for state, it always comes down to four, five and six," Bertrand said.  "I'm very confident in those positions."   City High ends at 14-5.  The team state semifinals and finals are June 7 in Ames.   "After this, I think we can go really far," Sherman said.  "Just keep playing like we've been playing all season."   CLASS 2A QUARTERFINAL

At Eldridge  

C.R. Washington 5, Iowa City High 1  

Singles – Eve Small (ICH) def. Lilly Hartman, 6-1, 6-0; Hannah Sherman (CRW) def. Innes Hicsasmaz, 2-6, 6-3, 10-4; Rina Moore (CRW) def. Susanna Gianola, 6-1, 6-1; Kelly King (CRW) def. Kit Finley, 6-0, 6-2; Jennifer Greif (CRW) def. Lucy Wagner, 6-0, 6-3; Callie Cook (CRW) def. Amelia Prybil, 6-2, 6-1.