Fallon senior tennis player Becky Conner returns a shot during the Northern Division I-A regional team tournament last week in Truckee. The Lady Wave lost in the regional final, 16-2, to South Tahoe.
In an epic battle, the Fallon girls tennis team slipped past Truckee, 36-33, on Thursday in a double-tie break in the semifinals of the Northern Division I-A regional tennis tournament in Truckee.
After the clubs notted a 9-9 tie after the first round of matches, Fallon and Truckee split the next six matches. Fallon, however, won more games and was declared the winner and advanced to the team finals.
In the final, though, South Tahoe cruised to a 16-2 victory to claim the regional team title.
The Fallon boys, meanwhile, lost to Truckee, 12-6, on Thursday in the semifinals.
“Last week was just intense,” Fallon coach Julie Moore said. “That was exhausting and I don’t even play.”
Now, the clubs compete in the Northern DI-A individual tournament Friday and Saturday in Truckee, where Moore said she has high hopes to qualify several singles/doubles teams for the state tournament.
It takes two wins to clinch a berth in state, although the players must adapt to competing for three sets against a single opponent. In the regular season, the three singles and doubles players compete for one set against three different opponents.
The doubles teams, though, have been Fallon’s strength this season, and the boys duo of Tyler Wood and Martin Beyer are the Sierra League’s No. 1 seed. As a result, they have a first-round bye and take on the winner of the Nos. 4-5 teams from North Tahoe and South Tahoe, respectively.
On the other side of the bracket, Garrett Kalt and Adam Wadsworth are seeded second and also have a first round bye.
“I think both of the doubles will go into Saturday pretty easily,” Moore said.
Joe Jameison and Jumel Villacarlos, meanwhile, are seeded fourth for Fallon and battle the No. 5 team from North Tahoe.
The girls doubles teams are led by Hannah Lindsay and Josie Bekiares, who are seeded fourth. The take on the No. 5 seed from Sparks and the winner takes on the No. 1 seed of Sofie Maciel and Diana Rosas of Truckee.
Jenna Spencer and Kali Strong nabbed the No. 6 seed and face the Truckee duo of Jessica Lebedeff and Riley Pruyn.
Hannah Perazzo and Sam Price, a No. 5 seed, take on No. 4 Lexie Gross and Devyn Hogan of Truckee.
In the girls singles bracket, the Lady Wave are led by 2012 state qualifier Becky Conner, who is the Sierra League’s No. 2 seed. She takes on the High Desert’s No. 6 seed from Sparks (no first names were provided on the brackets).
“I expect my No. 1 singles (Conner) and No. 1 doubles (Lindsay and Bekiares) to move on to Saturday,” Moore said.
Sarah Inglis, the No. 7 seed for Fallon, takes on No. 2 Aimee LaGrandeur with the winner facing the winner of the Conner/Sparks match.
Haley Lindsay of Fallon is seeded sixth and battles No. 3 seed Anna Keith of Truckee.
On the boys side, No. 8 Christian Stadtman takes No. 1 Nicholas Gardella of Truckee, No. 6 Josh Inglis faces Toby Ziegler of Truckee and No. 7 Dalin Conner battles No. 2 Addison Dvoracek of Truckee.
“They have to play so much more than they’re used to,” Moore said. “You hope you win the first two (sets) so you don’t have to play a third.”
Sierra Sun sports editor Sylas Wright contributed to this story.