Three area teams ease by playoff quarterfinals

It was Easy Tuesday for Charleston's three state championship hopefuls in girls High School League tennis as Wando, Bishop England and Academic Magnet all scored decisive victories in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. The next stop for all three teams will be Sumter's Palmetto Tennis Center where the state championship weekend commences Friday afternoon.

Wando (22-0), in search of a sixth straight Class AAAA state title, scored a 6-0 shutout of Lexington, while two-time defending Class AA state champion Bishop England (16-4) was almost as flawless in a 6-1 win over Aynor at Snee Farm, and Class A Academic Magnet (11-5) advanced with a 5-1 victory over host Johnsonville.

Wando 6, Lexington 0

"We couldn't take them for granted," said Warriors coach Becky Williamson, whose team has won a state-record 97 straight matches. "Everyone played very well and they were all motivated for the match."

Senior Corin Hallman was the only Wando player to face pressure as she struggled to win a third-set match tiebreaker, 10-7, against Lexington's Erin Green at No. 1 singles.

Junior Clair Larkin responded well in facing her former Lexington teammates by scoring a 6-3, 6-1 win over Lexington's Sarah Kim at No. 2. Larkin played for Lexington in another loss to Wando in last year's state semifinals.

The Warriors will go after another Lower State title in Friday's 2 p.m. match against unbeaten Dutch Fork, which posted a 5-1 win over Beaufort in the state quarterfinals.

SINGLES: Corin Hallman (W) def. Erin Green, 6-3, 3-6, 10-7; Clair Larkin (W) def. Sarah Kim, 6-3, 6-1; Alexis Prickett (W) def. Rachel Lovaas, 6-1, 6-0; Catherine Martin (W) def. Lauren Johnson, 6-0, 6-3; Melanie Allen (W) def. Lauren Howard, 6-1, 6-2.

DOUBLES: Kayla Heller/Alex Klein (W) def. Katie Lucas/Kelly Gajewski, 6-4, 6-3.

Bishop England 6, Aynor 1

Bishop England coach Kristin Fleming is especially pleased to be headed to the lower state Class AA title match in her first year as head coach. "I am very happy. It's been a great first year for me. I am enjoying it," the former BE star said. "But it wasn't an easy match."

Sophomore Charlie Gaffney won a 10-6 third-set match tiebreaker at No. 4 over Sallie Dusenbury to give the Bishops a sweep of the last four singles.

As expected, the Bishops will face Waccamaw in another Lower State final. Waccamaw ousted Pelion 4-2 on Tuesday.

SINGLES: Makela Rae Toth (A) def. Madison Boals, 6-3,6-4; Shannon McManus (BE) def. Haley Hardwick, 6-3, 6-0; Katie Hentz (BE) def. Mary-Carson Helms, 6-3, 6-1; Charlie Gaffney (BE) def. Sallie Dusenbury, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6; Kelly McManus (BE) def. Kathryn E. Johnson, 6-3, 6-0.

DOUBLES: Boals/S. McManus (BE) def. Toth/Hardwick, 8-2; Emma Schaafsma/Hunter St. Laurent (BE) def. Kathryn A. Johnson/Anna Dusenbury, 6-3, 7-6 (1).

Academic Magnet 5, Johnsonville 1

The Raptors swept the first four singles positions, but senior No. 1 Kelly Engle had to fight off Rachel Gasten by a 7-5 score in the first-set tiebreaker en route to a 7-6, 6-2 win.

"I think everyone played really well and really hard. We're just excited to be going to the state semifinals," first-year coach Brooke Floyd said.

Academic Magnet will face Green Sea-Floyds on Friday at 2 p.m. in Sumter. Green Sea-Floyds, which beat the Raptors' in last year's quarterfinals, rolled up a 7-0 win over East Clarendon on Tuesday.

SINGLES: Kelly Engle (AM) def. Rachel Gasten, 7-6 (5), 6-2; Sarah Helms (AM) def. Madison Capps, 6-4, 6-3; Celia Spell (AM) def. Kayla Ho, 6-3, 6-4; Paige Gainey (AM) def. Sabrina Nesminth, 6-0, 6-2; Ranesha Stuckey (J) def. Ellie Hart, 7-6 (1), 6-2.

DOUBLES: Sarah Wieland/Kaitlyn Griener (AM) d. Wybia Godwin/Kelly Spradley, 6-3, 6-2.

Reach James Beck at jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.