By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Elizabeth Hamilton became the first Ryle tennis player to win a Region 9 singles title on Friday when she defeated Claire Johnson of Beechwood, 6-2, 6-2, in the championship finals at Lloyd High School.
“It’s awesome, especially in my sophomore year,” Hamilton said after her historic victory. “I’m really surprised that I got it so early, but I’m happy that I got it.”
Hamilton won the match with a consistent baseline game, using steady ground strokes to open the court for winners or force errant shots by her opponent. She won four games in the first set and two in the second set when Johnson had the serve.
“Sometimes I just love hitting serves and then there are other days when I like the opponent serving if I think I can place the returns and start the point well,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton entered the regional tournament as the No. 1 seed and won all of her matches in straight sets. She has not lost a singles match this season and expects to be among the top eight seeds in next week’s state tournament that begins Thursday in Lexington.
Two Notre Dame teams met in the regional doubles final on Friday with seniors Kylie Moellering and Catherine Meadows coming away with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Isabel Bailey and Josephine Meyer-Hogan.
During the season, Notre Dame constantly shifted its lineup to find the best doubles combinations to enter in the regional tournament, and it paid off. The Pandas scored the points they needed in doubles to win the regional team title for the 22nd consecutive year.
“With Kylie and I, most of it is just chemistry and how we play together,” Meadows said. “We all switched around with different partners to see who works the best together.”
Bailey and Meyer-Hogan were the top-seeded doubles duo in the regional bracket, followed by Moellering and Meadows. Both teams had already qualified for the state tournament going into Friday’s regional finals, but they had to battle it out for the title.
“It was interesting because we’re all really great friends on the team,” Moellering said. “It’s always a weird concept playing against your teammates, but you just have to go out there and play tennis.”
Last year, Moellering and Francie Case won the regional doubles title and made it to the semifinals in the state tournament. Case graduated last spring and Moellering will be returning to the state tournament next week with a new partner.
“We have to be mentally tough,” Moellering said. “I think that’s one of the most crucial things. Francie was always great last year at calming both of us down when the matches get really, really tough and people get fired up. You have to be able to do that. I’m hoping we can do the same thing next week.”