Our No. 1 and No. 2 singles did a great job today. State is stressful and it’s a different beast than USTA tournaments so it was nice to see our girls relaxed. – Park City head coach Heather Nicholas
SALT LAKE CITY — Despite the move up to 4A for a number of teams in the Utah state tennis tournament, three familiar foes, Park City, Ridgeline and Desert Hills, along with perennial 4A power, Orem are all in contention following the first day of tournament play at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.
Park City did not lose a match on day one, and the Miners lead the field after scoring the maximum 10 points. Desert Hills and Ridgeline are tied with nine points while Region 10 champion, Orem scored eight.
“Our No. 1 and No. 2 singles did a great job today,” Park City head coach Heather Nicholas said. “State is stressful and it’s a different beast than USTA tournaments so it was nice to see our girls relaxed.”
Park City’s top singles players, twins Livi and Gabby Rockwood, both advanced to Saturday’s semifinals, as did No. 3 singles player Taylor Matz and both of the Miners' doubles teams.
For Ridgeline, the Riverhawks' No. 2 singles player Kristen Johnson lost, but No. 3 singles player Lucy Lyons earned a tough, three-set quarterfinal win over Tavah DeHart of Salem Hills, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5).
“Lucy was exhausted,” Ridgeline coach Josh Hinkle said. “That was a really tough match mentally and that was a huge win for us.”
Hinkle wasn’t around last season when the Riverhawks finished second to Park City in 3A. The first-year coach thought his team played well on day one of the tournament.
“I felt our team really executed our money plays well,” Hinkle said. “I thought we got to see some tough competition and we had a really strong showing in doubles.”
Some electrifying semifinals matches are set for Saturday morning. Park City’s No. 1 Livi Rockwood squares off against Desert Hills' No. 1 Morgan Behymer. In the other No. 1 semi, Naya Tillitt of Ridgeline faces Kendra Hancock of Payson.
Rockwood and Tillitt met in the No. 1 finals in 3A a year ago with Tillitt winning a three-setter. For Rockwood, who isn’t looking past Saturday’s semifinal, she’s cautiously optimistic she’ll get another crack at Tillitt.
“I hope I get a chance to play her. I’ve run into her in tournaments and never won,” Rockwood said. “She’s a great player and I bet she’s improved a ton from last year.”
While Nicholas and the Park City girls were boarding a bus to travel back to Park City to watch the football team, the coach said she likes the mix of experience and newcomers on this year’s team.
“Our No. 3 girl, Taylor Matz, was feeling a lot of pressure today as she’s going for a third-straight No. 3 state title, but she came through for us,” Nicholas said. “All of our singles played state before and one of our No. 1 doubles players is new and both of our No. 2 doubles girls are new.”
Action resumes Saturday morning at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.
Friday's results:
First Singles
First round
Megan Vehar, Spanish Fork def. Rachael Dursteller, Green Canyon 7-5, 6-1
Morgan Behymer, Desert Hills def. Aubree Allen, Bonneville 6-4, 6-1
Live Rockwood, Park City def. Shayli Habibian, Snow Canyon 6-0, 6-0
Sailor Magness, Orem def. Sara Ortiz, Logan 6-1, 6-3
Brielle Calahan, Pine View def. Pia Lorbeer, Toole, 6-0, 7-5
Naya Tillitt, Ridgeline def. Taylor Tolbert, Salem Hills 6-0, 6-1
Kendra Hancock, Payson def. Betsy Hixson, Sky View 6-2, 6-0
Angela Crooks, Dixie def. Victoria Fidler, Stansbury, 6-2, 6-4
Quarterfinals
Behymer def. Vehar 6-4, 6-2
Rockwood def. Magness 6-1, 6-3
Tillitt def. Callahan 6-0, 6-0
Hancock def. Crooks 6-2, 6-4
Second Singles
First Round
Mimi Bowman, Orem, def. Caroline Jessen, Ogden 6-1, 6-3
Kristen Johnson, Ridgeline, def. Candice Gulber, Hurrican 6-2, 6-0
Faith Hess, Desert Hills, def. Amberli Barden, Mountain Crest, 6-1, 6-2
Breanna Winkel, Spanish Fork, def. Lauren Sorge, Juan Diego, 6-1, 6-1
Marie Anderson, Snow Canyon, def. Ashley Kezos, Dixie 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Sydney DeGraw, Payson, def. Meghan Wold, Bonneville 6-1, 6-3
Gabby Rockwood, Park City, def. Hannah Johnson, Salem Hills 6-0, 6-0
Annie Spach, Logan, def. Hannah Obray, Pine View 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
Quarterfinals
Bowman def. Johnson 6-4, 6-4
Hess def. Winkel 6-1, 6-1
DeGraw def. Anderson 6-1, 6-1
Rockwood def. Spach 6-1, 6-0
Third singles
First round
Madison Poorman, Ogden, def. Hanna Jenkins, Logan 6-3, 6-2
Mackenzie Telford, Desert Hills, def. Kylie Smith, Spanish Fork, 6-1, 6-0
Aspen Jones, Orem, def. Raelie Madrid, Dixie 6-1, 6-0
Alli Phillips, Green Canyon, def. Nicole Amedee 6-1, 6-0
Tavah DeHart, Salem Hills, def. Addie Bronson 6-2, 6-2
Lucy Lyson, Ridgeline, def. Chandra Bigelow, Stansbury 6-0, 6-0
Taylor Matz, Park City, def. Hannah Payne, Bear River 6-1, 6-0
Cameron Miner, Pine View def. Kallie Snow, Payson 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Quarterfinals
Telford def. Poorman 6-3, 6-1
Jones def. Phillips 6-2, 6-2
Lyons def. DeHart 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(5)
Matz def. Miner 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
First Doubles
First round
Heather Roskelley & Cambrie Anderson, Logan, def. Dannika Hancock & Sage Staheli, Payson 6-1, 6-3
Erica Evans & Abbie Carmack, Deseret Hills, def. McKenna Baker and Kammy Hamilton, Tooele, 6-1, 6-0
Brooklyn Thompson & Emme Phillips, Park City, def. Annie Heaton & Ashley Stevens, Dixie 6-3, 6-3
Eliza Bowman & Alyssa Chandler, Spanish Fork, def. Linsey Larkin & Kelly Larkin, Bear River 6-1, 6-3
Emily Pehrson & Ali Wolford, Ridgeline, def. Kaitlyn Callahan & Kassidy Callahan, Uintah, 6-1, 6-1
Ali Greer & Abby Dunn, Orem, def. Grace Goble and Grace Michelson, Green Canyon, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Charlotte Apple & Addie Southam, Snow Canyon def. Maddie Johansen & Hannah Anderson, Stansbury 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals
Roskelley & Anderson def. Evans & Carmack 6-3, 7-5
Thompson & Phillips def. Bowman & Chandler 7-5, 6-3
Pehrson & Wolford def. Blaser & Snow 6-1, 6-3
Greer & Dunn def. Apple & Southam 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
Second Doubles
First round
Erica Allen & Tessa Clayson, Spanish Fork, def. Mia Thurber & Kenzi Knudsen, Stansbury 6-1, 6-1
Madi Brenchley & Avery Chadwick, Ridgeline, def. Eme Benson & Kendra Parker, Snow Canyon, 6-0, 6-2
Tia Turley & Lyndsi Graf, Desert Hills, def. Macy Newman & Halie Davis, Bear River, 6-1, 6-1
Kaity Smithy & Paige Paxton, Salem Hills, def. Ana Rico & Kylie Furukawa, Juan Diego, 6-3, 6-1
Tess Larkin & Kalli Beckstrom, Dixie, def. Madi May & Sicily May, Green Canyon, 6-3, 7-5
Isabel Adams & Gabby Bailey, Orem, def. Keanna Williams & Abi Winn, Ogden, 6-0, 6-1
Erin Case & Amelia Jorgensen, Park City, def. Cozette Caron & Thobeka Talbot, Payson, 6-0, 6-1
Juliette Hart and Kate Jenkins, Logan, def. Olivia Obray & Katrina Hafen, Pine View, 6-2, 6-0
Quarterfinals:
Benchley & Chadwick, def. Allen & Clayson
Turley & Graf, def. Smith & Paxton
Adams & Bailey def. Larkin & Beckstrom
Case & Jorgensen def. Hart & Jenkins