East girls tennis dominates ECIC doubles

Williamsville East was a triple threat at last week's ECIC doubles Tournament last Friday and Saturday at the Village Glen Tennis Club.

Sophomore Miranda Podlas and senior Monica Vieth, East's second and third singles players all season, combined to win the doubles tournament. Junior Justine Rusk and eighth-grader Emma Manuel took third; senior Kristina Lazzaro and junior Alyssa Drozynski placed fifth. The top eight teams qualified for the Section VI Championships Oct. 26-27 at the Miller Tennis Center.

"I suspected we would have a good chance at sending all three teams to sectionals but the way they played and where they finished was quite an accomplishment," said East coach Mike Vendetti. "I left the Village Glen on Saturday tremendously proud of all six girls."

It's already been a great season for East. Last week, Olga Khmylev won the ECIC singles crown. This past Thursday East (13-0) capped off an undefeated regular season by blanking ECIC I powerhouse and previously unbeaten Orchard Park, 5-0.

Vieth and Podlas lost five games on route to becoming ECIC doubles champions. They defeated Frontier's Mary Bianca and Katie Rich, 6-0, 6-0, in the first round, Williamsville South's Stephanie Berland and Katie Dukarm, 6-1, 6-0, in the second round, and all three Orchard Park duos from the quarterfinals to the finals - Cartni Sherry and Amanda Rockwood, 6-0, 6-0; Jen Waris and Heather Ross, 6-0, 6-0; and Catie Wickline and Caroline Bristol, 6-4, 6-0.

Rusk and Manuel, the team's No. 1 doubles team during the regular season, beat Amherst's Elizabeth Greco and Jordan Zloty, 6-1, 3-1 (retired); Hamburg's Lauren O'Brien and Emily Nuding, 6-2, 6-0; and Clarence's Haley Clover and Samantha Heleba, 6-3, 6-4 before falling to Wickline and Bristol, 1-6, 1-6, in the semifinals. Rusk and Manuel regrouped to beat Waris and Ross, 6-4, 6-4, for third place.

Lazzaro and Drozynski, East's second doubles team during the regular season, beat Alden's Kristen Flick and Ashley Ruhlan, 6-0, 6-1 and Williamsville North's Kelley Matthews and Maddie Robinson, 7-5, 7-5, before falling to Waris and Ross, 5-7, 7-5, 3-6, in the quarterfinals. In playbacks, the duo beat Alden's Jessica Page and Danielle Vahawicz, 4-1, 5-3 and Clover and Heleba, 4-0, 0-4, 4-1.

Against OP, Khmylev defeated Bristol, 6-3, 6-1, at first singles; Podlas beat Wickline, 6-1, 6-0, at second singles; and Vieth won over Waris, 6-2, 6-0 at third singles. East's doubles teams were also successful. Rusk and Manuel defeated OP's Ross and Sherry, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, at first doubles; and Lazaaro and Drozynski beat Rockwood and Emily Brydges, 6-4, 6-3.

East played Kenmore East in the gold flight of the team championships on Tuesday. Results were unavailable before The Bee went to press.

Williamsville North

Robinson, a freshman and Matthews, a sophomore, opened with a 6-0, 6-0 first round over Maryvale's Supinder Meeta and Brynn Johnson. Coach Hilary Nichols said Matthews was tough at the net and Robinson had powerful serves.

Following a long wait time, Robinson and Matthews faced Lazzaro and Drozynski. Nichols said the team had trouble holding the lead due to some unforced errors. After being ahead by two games in both sets, they succumbed to East.

Robinson and Matthews, the team's first doubles team during the regular season, only had one loss during the regular season.

North's other doubles team, senior Kiran Malhi and junior Sophie Wang, faced East Aurora's Theresa Morlock and Sarah Bremmer and came out on top, 6-3, 6-2.

"They played an aggressive style of play, including getting to net every chance they got," said Nichols.

Unfortunately, North had the misfortune of facing OP's Bristol and Wickline, the Lady Quakers' first and second singles players, in the second round.

"We couldn't string together any games but did take a number of games to deuce," said Nichols.

Nichols said neither team qualified for sectionals but did gain tournament experience for next season. Only Malhi graduates.

Amherst Central

Amherst's other doubles team of Katherine Janicke and Theresa Gladysz lost in the first round to West Seneca East's Ariana Musili and Rachel Yalowich, 1-6, 1-6. The Lady Tigers did finish the regular season by sharing the ECIC Division III crown with Starpoint.

Sweet Home

Luda Gugkaeba and Laura Hanzly beat Cheektowaga's Jenn Carr and Melanie Grzebinski in the first round before falling to Alden's Page and Vahawicz in the second round.