State Tennis

Oak Harbor’s LaFountain falls to defending D-II state champ Nelson

Northview junior Megan Millerwon her opening match versus Ashley Tan of Dublin Coffman 6-3,6-4.

ImpactActionPhotos.com/Joe Maiorana

Notre Dame Academy sophmore Teagan McNamara, left, celebrates a point as doubles partner Alicia Nahhas watches the shot land just out of bounds.

COLUMBUS — Each of the last two seasons, Oak Harbor senior Ashley LaFountain ended with first-round Division II state singles tennis losses to Portsmouth’s Mollie Miller. She didn’t run into Miller this time and ended up making it to the second round of the state tournament Friday at Ohio State and Elysium Tennis Center in Plain City.

LaFountain was one of three area singles players and three doubles teams to have their seasons end on the first day of state competition, however.

After opening with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Tipp City Tippecanoe’s Sierra Nellessen, LaFountain fell to Millersburg West Holmes senior Rachel Nelson 6-1, 6-2 in the next round. Nelson is the defending state champion.

“It’s awesome to win a match, especially considering the last two years I haven’t won a match,” said LaFountain, who trailed 5-3 in the first set before rallying.

Also in Division II singles was Maumee Valley Country Day junior Rochell Issa, who fell to Portsmouth’s Ali Miller 6-1, 6-3 in her opening match.

In Division II doubles, Ottawa Hills senior Shivani Bhatt and freshman Lilli Boice lost to Columbus School for Girls’ Tiffany Lau and Mary Anne Click 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4) in their tournament opener.

Northview junior Megan Millerwon her opening match versus Ashley Tan of Dublin Coffman 6-3,6-4.

In Division I singles, Northview’s Megan Miller opened with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Dublin Coffman’ Ashley Tan but lost to Kings Mills Kings’ Amina Ismail 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a second-round match.

After winning the opening set, Megan Miller led 2-1 in the second set against Ismail before rain moved play to Elysium Tennis Center.

“The rain didn’t help either one of us, but she figured out what she was doing wrong [during the venue switch],” Megan Miller said. “I was shooting to make it two rounds but she played a nice match.”

In Division I doubles, the Notre Dame team of seniors Lindsay Clark and Kerigan McNamara lost in the first round and its team of sophomore Teagan McNamara and freshman Alicia Nahhas lost in the second round.

Nahhas and McNamara opened with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over North Canton Hoover’s Natalie Bourlas and Nicollette Bourlas but lost to Dublin Jerome’s Sarah Stein and Emma Stein 6-0, 6-2 in the second round. Sarah Stein won the state doubles title last year with Lauren Bellinger, who advanced this season to state in singles.

“We rely on each other,” Nahhas said. “It’s been a good experience.”

“It adds to the hype being able to play on a college course,” Teagan McNamara said of playing at Ohio State.

Clark and Kerigan McNamara lost to North Canton Hoover’s Lauren Daugherty and Alivia Arnold 6-2, 6-3 in their state opener.