ALTOONA — Both State College’s entrants into the District 6 Class 3A girls’ singles tennis tournament won matches but neither Joanna Liu nor Virginia Paterno were able to make it to the finals.
Liu got to the semifinals before being sidelined by Crosby Denis of Hollidaysburg, 6-2, 6-0, on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at Summit Athletic Club.
Central Mountain’s Addison Lindsay defeated Denis in a battle of freshmen, 6-0, 6-1, in the championship match the following day.
Liu also is a freshman. Paterno is a sophomore.
The third seed, Liu reached the penultimate round by blanking Shikellamy’s Allison Minnier, 6-0, 6-0 in the first round and then turning back Altoona’s Allison Graham, 6-0, 6-1, in the quarterfinals.
Paterno outlasted Williamsport’s Abby Robertson in a marathon opening match, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 10-6, but apparently didn’t have enough left in the quarters, where she was knocked out by Hollidaysburg’s Megan Ferris, 6-0, 6-0.
Third singles player Ephrasinia Shimelis and the second second doubles pairing of Lyla Higgins and Kara Lin were 6-0, 6-0 victors as the Lady Little Lions improved to 12-2 with a 5-0 dual match triumph against visiting Harrisburg on Friday, Sept. 29.
Shimelis beat Meleny Melendez. Higgins and Lin topped Alinah Graham and Dayana Diaz.
State’s first singles team, Ava Bechtal and Lydia Shen, downed Jazzy Sena and Mia Nunez, 6-0, 6-1.
In the remaining singles matches, Liu defeated Imani Speaks, 6-1, 6-1, while Paterno took care of Carolina Herrera, 6-0, 6-3.
