ALTON — The Alton High School girls' tennis team has enjoyed significant success this season, highlighted by their recent victory at the Sacred Heart-Griffin Central Illinois Invitational. The Redbirds clinched the championship, triumphing over 15 other teams in Springfield.
The team showcased their depth and resilience by advancing players to the semi-finals in all five flights. Scarlett Eades was the only Redbird to reach a championship match, though the team's overall performance secured their first-place finish.
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"We had a great tournament but a tough semi-final round," said Coach Jesse Macias. "I'm proud of our players. They kept fighting for points, and that is what pushed us into first place."
Anna Larson and Arlie Hartmann captured third place in the No. 3-doubles category, while Jenna Fassler and Jamie Postlewait fought hard but ultimately lost in three sets in their third-place match. The one doubles team of Lauren Massey and Grace Massey also had a strong showing, despite falling to formidable opponents.
Lilly Schuler, competing in the challenging one singles flight, finished in fourth place. "Lilly did what she always does, compete really hard," Macias said. "She always plays great in Springfield, and one singles is always the hardest flight. Fourth place at number one is fantastic."
Scarlett Eades' performance was particularly noteworthy. "I'm really proud of her," Macias remarked. "She dominated in some matches but was down in the second set in the finals. It was a long, hot day for everyone, and she outworked not just her opponent. You could see her experience and being a senior paying off."
Alton finished the tournament with 30 points, ahead of Effingham St. Anthony (27), Maria-Forsyth (24.5), Niles North (22), and Normal University High (21) in the top five.
"We have been coming here for a long time and we've been top three a few times, but we have never won this tournament," Macias noted. "I’m happy for this senior class. We brought up 12 players this weekend and nine were seniors."
In addition to the varsity success, the junior varsity team also performed in strong fashion. The JV team, consisting of eight sophomores, competed in the Heather Bradshaw tournament and finished second in the Futures II flight.
"We had twenty players play meaningful matches, that's awesome for our program. I am really proud of both teams," Macias said.
Alton Ties With Champaign Central
In other recent action, Alton High tied Champaign Central 2-2 this past Friday in Champaign. Lauren and Grace Massey secured a doubles win, and Jenna Fassler won in singles for the Redbirds. Alton now holds a record of 2-1-1 and is set to compete in the Mattoon Invite this Saturday.
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