Ashley Hall again handles Porter-Gaud

"We lost three times to Ashley Hall. I guess they were the better team."

That comment by Porter-Gaud coach Tom Higgins summed up SCISA Class AAA girls tennis this season as Ashley Hall proved again that the Panthers were the dominant team in a 5-3 state championship victory over Porter-Gaud at Sumter's Palmetto Tennis Center on Saturday.

In winning a second straight state title, coach Mary Gastley's Ashley Hall team wrapped up an unbeaten dual match season. The Panthers lost only in preseason tournament play when then-injured senior Jamie Harrell didn't play singles.

But Harrell had her game face on for the third meeting with the Cyclones (11-3), who were a close second as they went unbeaten against everyone but Ashley Hall.

After winning two 5-4 thrillers in the regular season against Porter- Gaud, the Panthers put some distance between the teams this time as 2008 Lowcountry player of the year Harrell handed Porter-Gaud foreign exchange student Jeanette Fischer her only loss of the season, 6-2, 6-1, to spark a 3-3 singles deadlock, and then after an hour rain delay Harrell and fellow senior Charlotte Morrow won 6-0, 6-1 over Carissa Steichen and Christina Connelly at No. 2 doubles.

The Panthers clinched the victory when junior Patricia Kirkland gained revenge by teaming with freshman Narni Summerall for a 6-1, 7-6 (4) win over P-G's Fischer and Mi'Kola Cooper in No. 1 doubles. Cooper won 0-6, 7-5, 10-7 win over Kirkland at No. 2 singles to keep the match tight going into doubles.

Ashley Hall owned a one-set lead in No. 3 doubles when the Panthers wrapped up the title.

"Doubles pulled us through again," said Gastley, whose team won seven of eight doubles matches in sweeping its three meetings with Porter-Gaud this year. "We practice doubles a lot, and they've won a lot of matches for us over the years."

Gastley was especially impressed with Harrell's performance in yielding a total of just four games in singles and doubles. Harrell had suffered a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Fischer in their regular-season meeting while she nursed a foot injury, but this time it was all Harrell with her left-handed power and talent. "Jamie played an outstanding match. She was a healthy, focused Jamie," Gastley said.

Higgins agreed. "Jamie Harrell took her game to another level. She was dominant," he said.

"We had a couple of rain delays and some wind, but to Ashley Hall's credit they adjusted to everything."

Singles: Jamie Harrell (AH) def. Jeanette Fischer, 6-2, 6-1; Mi'Kola Cooper {PG) def. Patricia Kirkland, 0-6, 7-5, 10-7; Narnia Summerall (AH) def. Carissa Steichen, 6-4, 6-1; Annie Hay (PG) def. Charlotte Morrow, 6-0, 6-3; Christina Connelly (PG) def. Margaret Legerton, 7-5, 6-4; Rossi Anastopoulo (AH) def. Carlyle Williams, 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles: Kirkland/Summerall (AH) def. Fischer/Cooper, 6-1, 7-6 (4); Harrell/Morrow (AH) def. Steichen/Connelly, 6-0, 6-1.

Reach James Beck at jamesbecktennis@gmail.com