Trojans girls’ tennis returns to team state

Fairfield High's girls' tennis advanced to the final eight of the IGHSAU's state team bracket by defeating Davis County 5-1 Friday at M.U.M. rec center, earning them a state-qualifiers banner, although the Trojans hope to make it to the ‘final four' which plays June 1 in Des Moines.

Singles

No. 1 Yana Gaskell defeated Isabella Tranquillo 6-2, 6-0

No. 2 Anatta Charoenkul swept Abby Vaughn 6-0, 6-0

No. 3 Penelope Higdon defeated Hailey Swan 6-0, 6-3

No. 4 Abby Schaefer fell 1-6, 3-6 to Avery Thompson

No. 5 Katrina 'Tess” Paton defeated Bailea Yahnke 6-2, 6-3

No. 6 Destiny Gridley was still facing Morgan Klaus when the Trojans No. 1 doubles earned the fifth and decisive point.

Doubles

No. 1 Gaskell/Higdon won 6-0, 6-1 to Tranquillo/Vaughn

Next

The winner of Dubuque Wahlert and Davenport Assumption Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Iowa City High, weather permitting. Wahlert and Assumption's match was moved from Saturday until today.

Coach Grunwald

Any worry that your doubles are rusty since they haven't needed to play much lately?

'No, I think we're ready for doubles and we start practice with singles, because that's where they start but we practice both.”

Glad to see the girls take ownership of 'the fifth point”? (The victory needed to win the overall match assuming Yana and Anatta never lose)

'They have to, because most of the time we haven't made it to doubles. I sent my No. 1 doubles out today since Destiny was still playing, but the doubles will eventually be in the mix. Probably Monday.”

Second straight year making it to state for team tennis, but I know your players want to make it at least one more round to the final four in Des Moines. What do you need to do to achieve that?

'I think just leaving it all out on the court. I told them that today. I said regardless of whether it's Wahlert or Assumption, you have got to move your feet and leave it there. Give it your all. I don't want to call it an end. We're 12-0 and I'd like to get to 13-0 and play in the final four. It would be pretty amazing to do that. It's already great that we've got two singles and a doubles and the team all this year.”