(ABOVE LEFT) Westfield No. 2 singles Sloane Seyferth won her match 6-0, 6-0 during the Shamrocks’ regional semifinal victory over Alexandria on Tuesday. (ABOVE RIGHT) Westfield coach Trudy Coler (far left) talks with her team after its win. (Richie Hall)
By RICHIE HALL
NOBLESVILLE – Westfield wasted no time in making a return trip to the regional final.
The No. 10-ranked Shamrocks took care of business in the semifinals of the Noblesville regional on Tuesday, beating Alexandria 5-0. Westfield earned a date with No. 15 Delta this afternoon to play for the regional championship.
“I think we’re playing well going into the tournament and the girls are excited,” said Rocks coach Trudy Coler.
Westfield only allowed five games across their five matches, including 6-0, 6-0 shutouts for No. 1 singles Isla Harvey and No. 2 singles Sloane Seyferth. No. 3 singles Alexis Halliburton won her match 6-0, 6-1.
The Shamrocks’ doubles were equally dominant. No. 1 Jenna Berry and Bella Rivera cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 victory, while No. 2 Kendall Omer and Rayna Roy were 6-1, 6-1 winners.
“In the tournament, you’ve got to be aggressive and play good tennis,” said Coler. “Every team that we play, we don’t take anything for granted. We just come out and play our games and play hard.”
Delta won the other semifinal 5-0 over Jay County. The Eagles were just as dominant: No. 1 singles Sophia Crabtree won her match 6-1, 6-1, then Delta won the other four matches 6-0, 6-0. Westfield did not play the Eagles during the regular season.
Coler said when it comes to playing an opponent her team hasn’t seen yet, the players have to sum up their opponents during warm-up time.
“You really have to figure out your game plan in those early games of playing someone,” said Coler. “It’s really no different than in season when we play. When we go out in our dual matches, you’re trying to figure out things pretty quickly on the court and trying to figure out your game plan.”
Carmel, Fishers reach finals
The Carmel and Fishers tennis teams also advanced to regional finals on Tuesday.
The regional host and No. 3-ranked Greyhounds beat Crawfordsville 5-0 and will take on No. 4 Park Tudor in the championship today. The No. 14 Tigers defeated New Castle 4-1 and play regional host Mt. Vernon in their championship.
Buttrick wins
University’s Laurel Buttrick won her first-round match at the Carmel individual sectional on Tuesday.
Buttrick beat Southmont’s Maggie Gilliland 6-0, 6-0 and will play Brebeuf Jesuit’s Chloe Wendowski in her next match.
