by Frank Aceto

Associate Sports Editor

Tallmadge junior tennis player Sheila Long had to play everybody's top player throughout the season.

Senior Amanda Clark had some postseason experience, but she was playing with a new partner.

Both of those players, along with Clark's doubles partner Amber Zito, a senior, may have surprised a few people during Division I sectional play.

The tourney concluded Oct. 4 at Canton Weis Park.

In the end, however, all three of them fell just short of advancing to the district competition.

Long, who had a bye in the opening round, won her first two matches, but lost in the quarterfinal match. She posted a 6-1, 6-4, win over an Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary player and then posted a 6-4, 6-2 victory over an Orrville player.

Clark, who reached district play last year with her older sister Melissa Clark, a 2008 Tallmadge graduate, and Zito won their first match (score was not available) and then scored a 6-3, 6-4 win over a team from Akron Archbishop Hoban.

If the three players won their quarterfinal matches, they would have earned one of the top four spots to reach district play.

Long, who had a losing record at first singles, gained a little bit of revenge in one of her victories.

"Sheila had a really good match against the player from Orrville," Lady Blue Devils head coach Russell Wormald said. "That girl beat her earlier in the season. It was a good experience for Sheila to get that far."

Clark and Zito also had a strong tournament, according to Wormald.

"They beat a very good Hoban team," he said.

Tallmadge's other doubles team of Kara Hovest and freshman Alex James lost its first match.

"They played a Canton Central Catholic team and played very well," Wormald said. "I think they can become a very good doubles team."

Senior Stacy Billow and Kelsey Blatt also lost in the opening round.

"Stacy lost in three sets to a player from Kidron Central Christian," Wormald said. "Kelsey played against a girl from Marlington who played an unusual style of tennis. She couldn't figure her out. She got it to 3-3 in the second set, but then she had two double faults."

The Lady Blue Devils had three players reach the district fray the previous two seasons.

Jennifer Brown, a 2008 graduate, advanced to district play twice in singles' competition.

E-mail: faceto@recordpub.com

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