Julia Svor returns the ball during Friday afternoon’s tennis match in Lewiston. Sun Journal photo by Andree Kehn
LEWISTON — The Lewiston girls tennis team is back in the regional final after defeating Messalonskee 4-1 in the Class A North semifinals Friday.
The match of the was the No. 1 singles showdown, despite it happening after the team match had already been decided. Lewiston’s Julia Svor rallied back from an early deficit to take the first set 7-5. Lauren Bourque of Messalonskee battled back to win the next two sets 6-0 and 6-2.
“That was a really stressful match. (Julia) played amazing, she just kept getting the ball over,” Bourque said. “She just played amazing.”
Despite losing, Friday’s match help Svor in the long run.
“This is what I said to the Messalonskee coach (Caroline Mathes) is (Bourque) prepared her for the next match for the next round,” Murphy said. “This was so good for her. She wouldn’t have gotten anything playing a weaker player. What would that have done for her? This really brought her game up.”
Lewiston’s Abby Svor took second singles match, defeating Elena Guarino 6-1, 6-0. Abby Svor said she let her serve ride the wind.
“I didn’t think she knew, because she didn’t really adjust her game,” Abby Svor said.
Maddy Foster of Lewiston took No. 3 singles over Megan Williams 6-3, 6-0.
Williams took some of the early games in the first set as Foster had troubled adjusting to Williams lobbying the ball over. Once Foster took the lead, she felt she was in a groove.
Maddy Foster returns the ball during Friday afternoon’s tennis match in Lewiston. Sun Journal photo by Andree Kehn
“Once I had four games and we switched sides, I was like, ‘I just need two more,’” Foster said. “In the second set, I just need to focus and just get six in a row.”
Mathes was proud of the entire Messalonskee team, which finishes the season with a 10-4 record.
“I thought all the girls played well,” Mathes said. “Lewiston is a good team and they got several games off (Lewiston), so that’s an accomplishment. I thought all the matches were competitive looking. There weren’t (blowouts).”
Lewiston’s Molly Chicoine and Roslynn Wailus took No. 1 doubles, defeating Eve Lilly and Camdyn LaMarre 6-0, 6-2.
Chicoine and Wailus, who were double partners two years ago, and have strong chemistry together.
“Molly and I, the way we talk to each other, we just communicate, it just works well for us,” Wailus said. “So, we always set each other up.”
Jillian Pelletier, left, and Lauren Foster team up for a doubles match Friday afternoon in Lewiston. Sun Journal photo by Andree Kehn
In No. 2 doubles, Jill Pelletier and Lauren Foster to took the first set 6-1 and then had to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win the second set 6-3.
“It’s good for them to have been challenged,” Murphy said. “It didn’t help my team was making a lot of unforced errors. That doesn’t help either, but they pulled it together.”
The Blue Devils (14-0) will face the winner of Bangor and Brunswick in the regional final at Bates College on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
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