Double the fun as local duos make state tennis tournaments
Staff report
OBERLIN
For the third straight season, the Canfield High school tennis doubles team of Ashley Kaleel and Hannah Cianciola are advancing to the state tournament.
Saturday, Kaleel and Cianciola won the Division I district tournament. In the semifinals, Canfield defeated Avon’s team (Maddie Nakon and Ana Lopez) by scores of 6-0, 6-0.
Then in the finals, Canfield cruised past North Canton Hoover (Lynn Daugherty-Sydney Bergamn), winning by scores of 6-1, 6-0.
The Cianciola-Kaleel pairing is one of six teams from the Oberlin tournament advancing to the state tournament that will be contested on Friday and Saturday at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason (near Cincinnati).
Also qualifying were the teams from Hoover, Avon, Green (Anne Zivick-Maria Zivick), Walsh Jesuit (Skye Harwood-Megan Hissong) and Magnificat (Molly Bauer-Tess Moran).
Green finished third at district, defeating Avon by scores of 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
In 2013, Ciancola and Kaleel won their first state match before falling to the eventual state champions. Last fall, they lost in the first round, dropping a three-setter after winning the first set 6-1.
“We should have won,” Cianciola said in a recent interview. “We choked a little bit.”
Rob Stephens, Canfield coach, said Cianciola is more of a power player, with a wicked left-handed serve that gives Kaleel a chance to use her quick hands on volleys at the net. Kaleel is the more emotional player.
“They complement each other so well,” Stephens said.
Division II
AKRON
Poland’s doubles team of Marissa Ricciardi and Audrey Schweers have qualified for state after finishing fourth at the Akron district tournament.
Saturday, Poland’s team lost the semifinal match to the Hathaway Brown team of Isabella Daverio and Rebecca Wolf by scores of 6-0, 7-5.
In the third place match, Poland lost to Orange (Alissa Nakamoro-Anjali Kashyap) by scores of 6-3, 6-0.
Another Hathaway Brown team (Catherine Areklett-Ally PErsky) won the district title against the team that defeated Poland. All are moving on with Poland.