The St. Andrew’s-Sewanee varsity boys’ and girls’ tennis teams capped off successful seasons with strong play in the postseason. In the Division II-A District 2 Individual Tournament, multiple players won their first rounds before facing top seeds in the quarterfinals. The doubles teams of Ketiah Inganji and Keziah Ingeli and Grayson Cleveland and Andrew Gallaway chalked up wins over teams from Grace Baptist and Silverdale Baptist, respectively. Singles players Carlota Diez Rosety, Vie Virkhaus, and Elijah Stark had first round byes as seeded players and advanced to the semifinal round.
Stark and Diez Rosety fell to the district runner-up, while Virkhaus fell to the district champion. Diez Rosety then faced her teammate Virkhaus for the third place spot. Stark and Virkhaus finished fourth in the district and Diez Rosety finished third. Their finishes earned them All-District honors and qualified them for the East Region Individual Tournament, which took place two days later in Chattanooga where they faced the best players from Knoxville. Despite a strong effort and determined play by each, the Mountain Lion players fell in the quarterfinal round of the East Region.
The boys’ and girls’ teams both enjoyed winning seasons at 5 - 4, and they both earned 4th place finishes in District 2, a feat the girls’ team last achieved in 2022 and the boys’ team in 2013. This finish qualified both teams for the Division IIA East Region Team Tournament, and they traveled to Knoxville for the quarterfinal round. The girls’ team faced #1 seed Grace Christian Academy. From the first point of the match, the girls’ team was determined to make this a battle, and a battle it was. Carlota Diez Rosety at #1 topped her opponent 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 with a variety of topspin and slice shots as well as precision.
At the #5 spot, freshman Annabelle Close staged a comeback in the second set, falling just short of pushing the match to a third set. Ketiah Inganji at the #4 position showed impressive consistency in her 2 ½ hour, 3 set marathon match. The girls’ team ultimately fell 1 - 4 to the top-seeded Knoxville team but showed fight and competitiveness throughout the match. The boys’ team traveled to Knoxville the next day to face #1 seed Christian Academy of Knoxville. As usual, the boys’ team fought hard, made adjustments on court, stayed focused, and maintained composure, but the Knoxville team proved too strong, and the boys fell 0 - 4. The leadership of 7-year player Grayson Cleveland and 4-year player and 3-time captain Will Hernandez is greatly appreciated and contributed significantly to the team’s success. They’ve set the example for hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship.
Head Coach Kelley Black commented, “We are really proud of the effort that both teams put forth this season. They set clear goals at the beginning of the season and showed determination to meet them with steady, focused, and consistent play. Both teams achieving winning records and qualifying for the region tournament is a huge accomplishment and a milestone in SAS tennis. We appreciate the leadership that our seniors and captains demonstrated and the way our younger players stepped up. It was an exciting season!"