Why Casady is savoring Oklahoma high school tennis tournaments
Emilia Mantilla waited underneath the shade of a navy-and-white canopy tent as her Friday afternoon quarterfinal match approached.
The sole senior on Casady’s girls tennis team had competed in postseason tournaments every year of her high school career, but a sense of novelty filled this one. The faces surrounding her were not the opponents she had faced in previous seasons.
The sea of tents scattered across Oklahoma City Tennis Center was a different sight, too.
“I was pretty nervous walking in,” Mantilla said. “I did not expect myself to be that nervous, but after I just got on the court and started moving my feet a lot, trying to get my nerves out through feet movement, it helped a lot.”
Although Casady has a tennis tradition, the Oklahoma City private school hasn’t participated in the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association until this season.
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Mantilla and her teammates savored their introduction to the Oklahoma high school tennis tournament.
And the Cyclones experienced success.
Every Casady contender won a first-round match to reach the Friday quarterfinals, and the Cyclones will have several representatives in the Saturday semis, bringing a proud smile to first-year coach Billy Popejoy’s face.
“Just awesome,” Popejoy said. “(They) handled the pressure really well and performed the best they have all season.”
Ava Sachdev and Leela Walia persevered through a lengthy 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 match against Audrey Boatright and Jayce Cole of Byng to secure a semifinal spot in No. 1 doubles, while No. 2 doubles tandem Niva Hapani and Haya Zubair also advanced. In No. 2 singles, Lilly Ross claimed a 6-1, 6-0 win against Jayla Harris of Harding Charter Prep before defeating Riley Demunbrun of Crossings Christian with the same score.
Casady’s No. 1 singles competitor, Mantilla, zipped past Yocelin Hernandez of Byng, 6-0, 6-0. Mantilla then dropped a 6-2, 6-4 match to Brityn Waller of Christian Heritage, the defending team champion.
Tough matches happen. The battle-tested Cyclones know that well.
Casady, a high school with around 290 students, previously competed in the Southwest Preparatory Conference. The Cyclones traveled to Texas for tournaments and faced many dominant challengers. In the OSSAA, they match up with teams that are closer to their competition level, Sachdev said.
“Before, in SPC, we would kind of just lose every weekend,” Sachdev said.
Mantilla, who often found herself on the opposite side of the net from Ivy League commits in the SPC, had a similar perspective.
“It was definitely difficult,” Mantilla said. “All those big schools are really, really strong in tennis, so it was kind of hard seeing loss after loss. But we’d get some wins in there, and it was really fun getting to travel with the team down in Texas.”
Instead of packing for trips to Houston, the Cyclones had to drive only about seven miles southwest of their school for this year’s tournament, and they’re embracing the OSSAA festivities.
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Each year, schools often pitch their team tents in the same spots, much like fans scrambling for prime tailgating real estate outside college football stadiums. Casady’s tent, nestled under a leafy tree, displayed a large banner featuring their team photo for passers-by to see.
Anthony Pham helped the Cyclones secure a good gathering place. Pham, Casady’s boys tennis coach, also works as a teaching pro at Oklahoma City Tennis Center, so he has a dual role this week of supporting the Cyclones’ girls team and making sure the event runs smoothly.
“They’re loving it,” Pham said. “It’s fun for them.”
While some tournament contenders are seeking college tennis scholarships, Mantilla has other postgraduate plans. She plans to study biochemistry at Notre Dame and practice as a pediatrician. But she intends to stay close to the court, joining Notre Dame’s club team so she can keep playing the sport her parents also love.
Until then, the Cyclones’ senior is taking in the firsts and lasts of her high school career at Oklahoma City Tennis Center.
“I’m really excited, and I really like all the tent setups,” Mantilla said. “It’s a really fun environment. It’s been really fun watching all my friends from other schools play. We’re excited to see where our team can go.”
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More takeaways from 1st day of tennis tournament
Sofia Acuña’s quest for her third straight state title is off to a promising start. The Classen SAS senior didn't dropped a set at state. She cruised past Ella Ramsey of Claremore and Madilyn Whittaker of Altus to reach the Class 5A semifinals.
Reigning Class 6A team champion Jenks is having another strong tournament. The Trojans have semifinalists in No. 1 singles, No. 2 singles, No. 1 doubles and No. 2 doubles. Edmond Memorial has semifinalists in No. 1 singles, No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles.
With a new doubles partner, Heritage Hall sophomore Tokara Henderson is maintaining state tournament success. Last season, Henderson won the Class 5A No. 1 doubles championship with Jasmine Crain. This year, Crain is competing in the Chargers’ No. 1 singles spot, while Henderson is paired with Eloise Nasr. The doubles tandem reached Saturday’s semifinals, and Crain advanced in singles with a quarterfinal victory against Hailey Hibbets of Enid.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why Casady is savoring Oklahoma high school tennis tournaments
