LTHS Girls Tennis Excellent in Win over York

After its Tuesday dual meet was cancelled due to overpowering high winds, the Lyons Township High School girls tennis team returned to their home courts Wednesday to defeat York High School in their third dual meet of the year.

The win gives Lyons a 3-0 record in dual meets to accompany their 4-3 record in quad meets/invitational competitions. Senior singles standout Alexis Reisch acknowledges the importance of maintaining good results during the regular season.

"Conference meets help determine our seeding for the playoffs," Reisch said. "Also, they help us figure out what positions work best for our team, and they help us build confidence by showing that we are better than a lot of the other schools out there."

The lady Lions ran the table in singles matches Wednesday, as all four of their singles participants won their matches in overriding fashion. Freshman superstar Alexandria Chatt, a nationally club ranked player, and Reisch, the team's number one and two singles players respectively, both won their matches in two sets with scores of 6-1, 6-0.

Despite her youth, freshman phenomenon Chatt holds a no-nonsense mentality in all of her matches.

"My mindset is always to win," Chatt said. "No matter who I play, I have the same mindset to go out there and play my game the best I can."

Freshman Maggie Schwartz and junior Zorana Telebak, the squad's number three and four singles players, also won their matches in two sets, defeating their opponents 6-4, 6-2 and 6-0, 6-0, respectively.

LT's number-one doubles duo of senior Madeline Barnabee and junior Katie Miller, a last minute twosome due to shifts in the lineup, fell in two sets 6-1, 6-3. Fortunately for the home side, other doubles teams compensated with wins to aid the Lions' triumph.

In defense of the top doubles pair's defeat, senior doubles player Maureen Sweeney, whose partnership with senior Kelley Monzella resulted in victory, claims that playing with an unfamiliar partner has the potential

"It can be harder to work with another person, especially when you haven't played with them much," Sweeney said. "In certain cases it definitely makes things more difficult."

As for the rest of the season, the Lions, led by their top senior in Reisch, hope to keep up their successes while remaining injury-free

"We want to keep all of our players healthy, for sure," Reisch said. "Hopefully we can improve on the positions we have and work hard enough to pull off a strong sectional team."

The team, coached by Bill Wham, matches up against LT's perennial rivals Hinsdale Central High School today away from home, and will look to put on a good showing in preparation for the Hinsdale Central Invitational Tournament on Saturday, Sep. 11.