Penn Girls Tennis Team Triumphs in IHSAA Semi-State Championship
The Penn girls tennis team celebrated a significant victory on May 31, achieving redemption in the IHSAA semi-state championship. After facing defeat at the hands of Fort Wayne Carroll the previous year, the Kingsmen, ranked 15th, managed to turn the tables on the 9th-ranked Chargers, securing a 3-2 win at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne. This triumph marks the 10th semi-state title in the program’s history and their first since 2013, improving their season record to 19 wins and 5 losses.
Reflections from Coach Eric Bowers
Reflecting on last year’s narrow loss, Penn’s head coach, Eric Bowers, stated,
“It was a really close match last year that could have gone either way. We have a lot of girls back from that team, so it was nice to be on the right side of a 3-2 win.”
The Kingsmen secured their spot in the semi-state by defeating Fairfield 4-1 and Warsaw 5-0 in the NorthWood regional earlier that week.
Dominance in Singles Competition
In the semi-state match, Penn excelled in singles competition, clinching victories in all three positions. Senior Aileen Hu dominated her match at No. 1 singles with a score of 6-3, 6-0. Meanwhile, freshman Olivia Wu established a strong performance at No. 2 singles, winning 6-0, 6-2, and sophomore Samantha Pischalko also brought home a victory at No. 3 singles with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Carroll’s senior Kenna Shoup, who had previously defeated the Kingsmen in last year’s critical match.
Coach Bowers expressed admiration for Pischalko’s growth, noting,
“I’m very, very proud of Samantha. She’s just a sophomore and she played 3-singles last year. She’s improved quite a bit from last year. This was one of her better matches.”
Looking Forward
Penn’s doubles pairs comprised senior Jaanavi Kaushik and junior Amina Spahic at No. 1, alongside sophomores Ava Lightburn and Gabriella Roland at No. 2. With this victory, the achievements of the girls’ team mirrored the successes of the boys’ team from the fall, overseen by Coach Bowers. He remarked on the talent that both teams possess, highlighting key players such as Aileen Hu and Chris Chen, both of whom found success in their senior years.
Looking forward, the Kingsmen are set to compete against the 11th-ranked Munster this Friday, June 6, in a state quarterfinal match at North Central High School in Indianapolis. The state semifinals and finals will take place the subsequent day.
Saint Joseph Huskies Face Challenges
Meanwhile, the Saint Joseph girls tennis team faced a challenging semi-state final, succumbing to the top-ranked Brebeuf Jesuit in a sweeping 5-0 loss. Despite a stellar season that concluded with a 19-2 record and their successful run to earn a 12th regional crown, the 7th-ranked Huskies were unable to return to state after clinching the championship title the previous year.
As the Huskies look to the future, they will be losing key players, including their top singles player Anni Amalnathan and half of the No. 2 doubles team, Molly Borger, to graduation. Amalnathan, however, will continue her tennis career at Colorado State University. For now, the focus will be on rebuilding and maintaining the strong talent pool that the program has cultivated over the years.
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