Harrison girls tennis earns IHSAA regional championship, Central Catholic claims doubles
KOKOMO — Gusty winds across the Kokomo Tennis Courts did little to affect the focus of the Harrison girls team at the IHSAA Regional Team Tennis Championship.
Harrison has felt the shuddering disappointment a year ago when it fell on those same courts against Carmel.
Carmel this season was in another regional, leaving Harrison to face against a determined foe in Seeger.
"We were so used to losing to these bigger teams that this year we really wanted to work hard because we knew we would have a really good shot at going to state," said three-time Harrison sectional champion Bella Maynard. "We wanted to make history."
Maynard alongside Navy signee Emma Gu, Madison Evans, and doubles teams of Ella/Aubrey York and Elliot Flanery/Sarah Wang put their skills together and tied another string in the Harrison athletic record books.
The septet of girls tennis players came together to deliver smashes, aces and forehands to beat Seeger 4-1 and claim Harrison's first IHSAA Regional Championship.
"Last year we were really hungry to win this and losing was definitely a disappointment," Ella York said. "Now that we have this, we want to go as far as we can."
Aubrey York explained how she adjusted to the gusting winds with her twin sister.
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"We definitely have to tell each other to pull back with how hard you hit and you have to move your feet," York said. "It was really a big factor and you also have to give yourself a little grace. It's not going to be a perfect game in the wind. You have to let yourself make mistakes and learn from them."
Harrison was hardly affected with No. 1 singles player Gu sweeping a powerful 5-foot-9 opponent in senior Addison Shrader. Now Gu can focus on the final step in helping Harrison win the state championship while chasing her own individual state title.
"The key to anything is practice," Gu said. "We've had a packed schedule. We've had a lot of matches and I think that's when you get better. When you apply what you do in practice into a match. We've had great coaching helping us stay focused."
Ullery and Henry stay undefeated in doubles
Across the adjacent courts diagonally from Harrison was the Central Catholic doubles team of junior Bliss Ullery and senior Ella Henry who attempted their own hand at history.
Ullery and Henry played successive volleys and minimized its serving errors to beat Lewis Cass duo of Abigail Hileman and Dixie Wagoner in straight sets.
Ullery and Henry have won 22 straight matches. The main challenge for Ullery and Henry was battling against getting complacent.
"The hardest part was staying focused and not taking anyone lightly," Henry said. "Obviously we've had many different opponents. Some really good and others not so good because the best players are at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles."
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Henry and Ullery's chemistry is fully developed with the two playing volleyball for the Knights during the fall while becoming a doubles partnership last season.
The bond on the court was tested by Hileman and Wagoner who won two games in set one.
"We connect because if one of us is having a bad day and the other person's there is to back each other up," Ullery said."
"We are also good at holding each other accountable," Henry added. "We know how to encourage each other but also tell the other person they have to get it together."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@gannett.com, on Twitter at EthanAHansonand Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Harrison wins girls tennis regional title, Central Catholic wins doubles
