Park Hill South won a potential district preview and avenged a regular season loss from a year ago Monday, Aug. 28.
Five singles wins secured a 7-2 victory on the road against St. Teresa’s Academy in a rematch of last season’s Class 2 District 15 championship. The Panthers won the postseason matchup after losing to St. Teresa’s during the regular season meeting.
This time around, Park Hill South (5-1) took a 2-1 lead in doubles despite an 8-3 loss for Abby and Chloe Norris at No. 1. Eva Kresovic/Leah Gerke (8-5) and Annie Saunders/Claudia Chou (8-6) were tight winners at Nos. 2 and 3, meaning the Panthers needed just a split of singles to win.
Instead, Kresovic (No. 1), Abby Norris (No. 2), Chloe Norris (No. 3), Gehrke (No. 5) and Chou (No. 6) were all victorious. Abby Norris held on for a 9-7 win while the other four lost three games or fewer.
Kresovic won 8-0 at No. 1 to remain unbeaten in singles. Chloe Norris and Chou have also yet to lose in singles this season.
In 2016, St. Teresa’s won the regular season matchup between the two teams 5-4, but Park Hill South reversed that score in the district final. The 5-4 win put the Panthers into the playoffs for the 11th straight season.
Liberty North 6, Platte County 3
The Pirates lost a second straight in nonconference play in a home dual Monday, Aug. 28 in Platte City.
Hannah Valentine and Crystal Billings — both juniors — were 8-4 winners at No. 1 doubles, but Liberty North took a 2-1 lead into singles. Valentine (10-1 at No. 1) and sophomore Jaycie Call (10-5 at No. 4) were the Pirates’ two winners in singles.
Platte County was at 1-2 entering a Suburban Conference Blue Division matchup with Winnetonka scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 29, but the result was not available at The Citizen’s deadline.
Park Hill South 7, Blue Springs 2
Chloe Norris, Chou and Kresovic remained unbeaten against a Suburban Conference Gold Division foe Thursday, Aug. 24 in Blue Springs, Mo.
Park Hill South went 2-1 in doubles with 8-1 wins for the No. 2 team of Kresovic and Gehrke and the No. 3 team of Chou and Saunders. The Panthers were slated to continue Red Division play Tuesday, Aug. 29 against Liberty, but the result was not available at The Citizen’s deadline.
Lee’s Summit 7, Platte County 2
In a dual moved back three days, the visiting Tigers swept doubles on the way to a win Thursday, Aug. 24 in Platte City. The two teams were originally scheduled to play Aug. 21 but pushed it back due to concerns over traffic associated with the total solar eclipse that occurred that day.
Lee’s Summit led 3-0 going into singles, but Platte County made the matchup interesting.
Valentine earned a 10-2 win at No. 1, and Landers followed with a 10-4 victory at No. 2 for the Pirates. However, Call — the No. 6 JV player a year ago — lost in a tiebreaker at No. 4, and Lee’s Summit went on to hand Platte County its most lopsided loss since 2015.
“I was proud of the way Hannah and Mikayla played today, but quality wins like that don’t happen by accident,” Platte County coach Zach Keith said. “Those two girls practiced a lot this summer, and it’s good to see it paying off.”
Pembroke Hill 9, Park Hill 0
The Trojans were shut out against a Class 1 powerhouse on Thursday, Aug. 24 at Barry Park in Kansas City, Mo.
After losing all three doubles matches, Park Hill’s Kansas Dreps — a junior and the No. 1 player a year ago — lost 11-9 at No. 3 in the closest match of the day. Pembroke Hill didn’t have any seniors in the lineup and had freshmen in the Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 spots.
Park Hill South 9, Liberty North 0
Coming off a runner-up showing in an elite field at the Great 8, the Panthers were utterly dominant in a shutout Tuesday, Aug. 22 in Liberty, Mo.
Park Hill South didn’t drop a game in doubles, and Kresovic, Gehrke and Chou were all 8-0 winners in singles. Liberty North won just three games in singles during the Suburban Conference Red Division opener for both teams.
Park Hill 8, Blue Springs South 1
The Trojans won their Suburban Conference Gold Division opener Tuesday, Aug. 22 at Barry Park in Kansas City, Mo.
Maisie Markowitz and Elise McFee made their debuts at the top of Park Hill’s lineup with straight set victories. Dreps lost the first set but forced a third in a competitive match in what ended up the Trojans’ lone loss.
Lily Cota and Casey Lasater were 8-1 winners at No. 3 doubles for Park Hill.