Bishop England girls win title in tennis

COLUMBIA -- Kristin Fleming's state tennis title count hit five here Saturday afternoon as the third-year coach and former star player relived the glories of Bishop England's past success in a 7-0 victory over outmanned Emerald (14-5) that gave the Bishops (20-5) their third Class AA state girls championship in five years.

"This feels really great. I love coaching. It's nice to coach at the school you played for … a great experience," said Fleming, a 1993 Bishop England graduate. "Our teams won four (titles) when I was playing, and to come back and coach the girls to a state championship feels really good."

Emerald, playing in its fifth straight final, tried to make a match out of it, but the only singles matchup that was competitive was at No. 2, where strong-hitting sophomore Caroline Yodice held off the Vikings' Elizabeth Mulkey, 6-1, 7-6.

"All of our players are so good," Yodice said. "It's an amazing feeling … we worked so hard to get to this point."

Emerald won a total of only 12 games at the other four singles positions. Talented sophomore Liza Arruda clinched the title with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles. The two teams played the doubles matches after singles, with the Bishops taking both.

This title probably was decided two days earlier when the Bishops posted a close win over Waccamaw, which has won five of the last nine Class AA state titles, while Bishop England has taken the other four. The young Bishops knew they had passed the big test when they defeated Waccamaw.

Arruda also played in the decisive doubles match against Waccamaw.

"We knew we had to get past Waccamaw to win the state. It feels great to win my first state title, and I've got two more years," Arruda said.

Yodice agreed: "Beating Waccamaw was huge for us."

BISHOP ENGLAND 7, EMERALD 0

Liza Arruda (BE) def. Maggie Elliott, 6-2, 6-3; Caroline Yodice (BE) def. Elizabeth Mulkey, 6-1, 7-6; Hannah Simpson (BE) def. Sarah Bates, 6-0, 6-1; Kelli McManus (BE) def.

Herin Warner, 6-0, 6-1; Charlie Gaffney (BE) def. Lauren Hobbs, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles: Arruda/Simpson (BE) def. Elliott/Mulkey, 8-6; Emma Schaafsma/Hunter St. Laurent (BE) def. Erica Bradberry/Michelle Rambo, 8-0.

Reach James Beck at jamesbecktennis@gmail.com. See his columns on pro tennis at ubitennis.com/english.