Maggie Thompson
Delta’s girls tennis team won the Marion Regional championship on Thursday with a 4-1 victory over Pendleton Heights. Among the victories for the 10th-ranked Eagles (24-2) was a 6-1, 6-2 victory for No. 3 singles player Grace Belangee, the freshman’s 20th win of the year.
Delta defeated No. 14 Marion in the regional semifinals on Wednesday. The Eagles defeated both the Giants and Arabians in the regular season, but Delta coach Tim Cleland said he was pleased to see his team turn in stronger victories in the two postseason matches.
“I feel like we’re peaking at the right time and playing some of our best tennis right here at the end,” Cleland said.
The Eagles also picked up a singles win at the No. 2 position from Maggie Thompson, who won 6-2, 6-4.
Delta conceded just five games in its two doubles wins. Teaghan Dishman and Kaylin Gibson won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles, and Sarah Ogle and Emily Decker won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 doubles.
Pendleton Heights picked up its one win at No. 1 singles, where the Arabians’ Emma McCardwell defeated Delta’s Emma Snider 6-1, 6-2.
With the win against Pendleton Heights (21-5), Delta advances to the Homestead Semistate, where it will face No. 15 Fairfield on Saturday. Fairfield (17-1) defeated Angola in the Northridge Regional on Thursday.
Central singles player Rebecca Hollowell was also competing at Marion on Thursday in individual sectional action. Hollowell fell 6-0, 6-1 to Marion’s Sasha Glickfield. Hollowell finished her season with a 16-4 record.