Homestead, University School bring home state team tennis titles
Mark Stewart
Southeast Wisconsin is once again supreme in girls tennis.
Homestead and University School won WIAA state team tennis titles Saturday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison to mark the first time in three years that two area teams brought home state titles in the same season.
Homestead defended its Division 1 title to mark the first time since 2011 that a team repeated in the division. The Highlanders (26-0) also went undefeated for the second straight year.
SCOREBOARD: State team tennis results
In a rematch of the 2016 final, they defeated Neenah, 5-2, with the team sweeping doubles play and winning at No. 2 and 3 singles.
"We're thrilled to keep the tradition of Homestead going," Highlanders coach Jackie Egelhoff said. "We are proud of the girls and how they competed all year long and now they have this 26-0 record."
The final also provided a rematch of the Division 1 state singles final. Last week Neenah senior Kiki Risgaard beat sophomore Andie Weise, 7-6. 6-0. On Saturday, Risgaard won again but needed three sets, 7-5, 1-6, 10-8.
On Friday in the quarterfinals the Highlanders defeated Green Bay Notre Dame, 6-1. Saturday morning Homestead defeated unseeded Brookfield East, 4-3, in the semifinals.
"Brookfield East was outstanding this morning," Egelhoff said. "They took us to 4-3 and it was down to the last match on Andie to win."
Weise cruised to victory in that match, defeating East junior Emily Horneffer, 6-2, 6-2, to send Homestead to the final.
In Division 2, University School captured its first title since 2014 with a 6-1 victory over No. 1 seed Kenosha St. Joseph. Earlier this season, the Lancers defeated University School, 4-3, in a dual.
The Wildcats’ only loss came at No. 1 doubles were state champions Kaitlyn Kalinka and Megan Setter defeated Celia Buchband and Leah Schneck, 6-2, 6-0.
As was the case in Division 1, the final also provided a rematch of the individual state singles final. University School junior Veda Sane won again, defeating St. Joseph junior Olivia Czerwonka, 5-7. 6-2, 11-9.