ND doubles, Metzger third at state tennis semifinals

10/21/2007
BY PAUL BATTERSON
SPECIAL TO THE BLADE
Perrysburg's Julia Metzger suffered her first loss of the season in the state semifinals. She placed third and finished 27-1.
Perrysburg's Julia Metzger suffered her first loss of the season in the state semifinals. She placed third and finished 27-1.

COLUMBUS - After suffering their first loss of the season, a 6-4, 6-3 decision to Dayton Chaminade Julienne's Katie Pleiman and Nicci Dresden in the state semifinals, Notre Dame's Tara Majdalani and Meredith Morse went to a McDonald's restaurant to regroup. Neither of them ordered a Happy Meal.

"We went there and got sugared up on cinnamon rolls," Majdalani said with a laugh. "We ate away our loss. It's always a disappointment to lose and bouncing back is always hard, but we got over it."

Morse and Majdalani, and Perrysburg's Julia Metzger were able to shake off the disappointments of their first losses of the season in the state semifinals and place third at the Division I state tournament yesterday at Hilliard Davidson.

Morse and Majdalani defeated Massillon Jackson's Loni Dickerhoof and Trisha Conlan 6-4, 6-4 to pick up their second third-place finish in three years. In 2005, the two defeated Chargin Falls Kenston's Megan Davis and Jennifer Rudyk 7-5, 6-3 to place third.

Dublin Jerome's Jessica Easdale and Kathryn Farrar defeated Pleiman and Dresden 7-5, 6-2 for the doubles title.

Morse said coming back for the consolation is never easy.

"We were really disappointed. We wanted to come out here and win," Morse said. "But we realized there were many players who would give anything to be out here today. Once we came out on the court [for the consolation final] we rebounded and put the loss behind us. It's a little disappointing but it's all spilled milk now."

Metzger breezed into the semifinals before losing to eventual state champion Kate Turvy of Dublin Coffman 6-1, 6-2. Metzger beat Miamisburg's Kayla Tuscany 6-1, 6-3 to take third and finish with a 27-1 record.

With a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Richfield Revere's Stephanie Danesis in the championship, Turvy became the third player since 1990 to repeat as a Division singles champion, joining Notre Dame's Neela Vaez (2004 and 2005) and Huber Heights Wayne's Michelle DeCosta (1997, 1999 and 2000).

"I think the style of play Turvy has makes her so tough," Metzger said. "She's not really a counter puncher but she's aggressive and she never gets tired. She's very fast and she gets to everything. Most girls like that, you know if you hang in there long enough, they'll wear out. But she doesn't."

Metzger's trip to the tournament was almost a family vacation. Her sister, Jaclyn, and teammate Mallory Messenger lost to Dickerhoff and Conlan 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 in the doubles quarterfinals. Her father, Dean Metzger, served as a coach for the two sisters.

"It's fun having the whole family down," Julia Metzger said. "You have a lot more support and it makes it more fun than just playing serious tennis. I calmed down after the loss and I talked with my dad. We decided to brush that match off and go on to the next one."

In the consolation finals, Tuscany broke Metzger on her first serve but Metzger then won 11 consecutive games and then closed out the match.

"After you lose that semifinal, you have to realize you still have one more match," Metzger said. "You don't want to go out losing your last two matches of the year."