It’s tournament time! On May 15, bright and early at 8:00 a.m., high school student athletes from across the region gathered at Pioneer High School to participate in the MHSAA Division 1 Girls Tennis Regionals.
Nine high schools were represented in the region: Ann Arbor Huron, Ann Arbor Pioneer, Ann Arbor Skyline, Belleville, Brownstown Woodhaven, Lincoln Park, Monroe, Saline and Temperance Bedford. Out of those teams, only 3 advanced to the state competition: Huron, Pioneer and Saline. In order to qualify for States, teams must earn a total of 18 points. One point is earned for every match won. This year, with competitive spirits, Pioneer High School won Regionals, with a total of 24 points.
While 18 might seem like a high number, each team brings eight flights: four singles and four doubles. The draw is a normal tournament style draw, however because of the imbalanced number of teams, many teams receive byes in the first round, meaning they automatically advance to the second round without playing a match in the first round. So, flights with a bye in the first round are awarded two points when they win their first match, in order to account for the “bye point.”
Ellora Kirbat is a sophomore on the Pioneer Varsity Women’s Tennis team this year and has enjoyed connecting with the other players on the team and rekindling her love for the sport.
“Regionals was definitely a step out of my comfort zone,” Kirbat said. “Although me and my partner didn’t win our flight, the team overall won, and it was absolutely just as much fun winning with the team.”
As a CHS student and split-enroller, it can be difficult to connect with people from different high schools. However, now on the tennis team, Kirbat always finds a familiar face in the hallways of Pioneer to share a smile with.
As Pioneer moves on to the state competition, Kirbat is excited for the matches she will face. With a few weeks before States, Kirbat wants to work on her mental game.
“I want to keep my calm and nerves under control because that can be the killing factor for me,” Kirbat said.
Serena Chang is a senior and captain on the Huron Varsity Women’s Tennis team. Throughout the season, Chang has had some tough competition but ultimately placed second at the regional competition in her flight, two singles.
“I’m really proud of our team’s performance at Regionals,” Chang said. “Everyone played their best and didn’t give up at all. Even though the outcome wasn’t what we were hoping for, we’ll make up for it at States.”
Make sure to cheer on your Ann Arbor teams at their state competition on May 30 and 31!
