Palmetto tennis teams sweep at state championships; Gulliver girls win 10th all-time
Three Miami teams won state tennis titles on Thursday in the Orlando area – the Palmetto boys and girls and the Gulliver Prep girls.
In Class 2A, Gulliver defeated Jacksonville Bolles, 4-1. It was Gulliver’s 10th state title – all under coach Kelly Mulligan. The Raiders have also won two straight state titles.
Raiders No. 1 singles player Sophia Varabyeva went 3-0 in the tournament. She will play for the overall singles championship on Friday.
Against Bolles, Gulliver split the two doubles matches and prevailed at No. 1 (Varabyeva), No. 2 (Valentina Rossi) and No. 5 singles (Maya Quintero). Gulliver also had match point at No. 3 singles (Mia Suarez) when they had enough points to win the title. No. 4 singles player Mika Ringel was in a tiebreaker.
Gulliver’s winning doubles duo in the doubles was Lia Fletcher and Rossi.
“We played with so much heart and grit,” Mulligan said. “Our (4-3) win against Delray Beach American Heritage (on Wednesday) was the biggest test.
“But our players say that if you want it bad enough, you will win.”
Gulliver also earned a 4-0 state-semifinal win over Academy of the Holy Names earlier on Thursday.
In 4A, Palmetto’s boys defeated Gulf Coast, 4-0. Palmetto’s top five boys’ players in singles, in order, are Stefan Correa; Michael Larionov; Matteo Sama; Alessio Guarino; and Cason Campbell. Correa and Larionov play No. 1 doubles. Sama and Guarino play No. 2 doubles.
Palmetto’s girls’ team beat Venice 4-0. Palmetto’s top five girls’ players in singles are Ameia Sorey; Mia Sorrentino; Stephanie Hylton; Brooke Revuelta; and Alessia Franco. Sorrey and Sorrentino play No. 1 doubles. Hylton and Revuelta play No. 2 doubles.
In the semifinals earlier on Thursday, Palmetto’s boys defeated Vero Beach, 4-1. Palmetto’s girls’ won their semifinal match 4-1 over Spanish River.
Coach Kelly Gibson has now won six state titles at Palmetto – three each with the boys and the girls.
“These titles were well deserved after we came up short last year,” Gibson said. “They left their souls on the court last year.
“Today, we got them back.”
MORE STATE TENNIS
▪ Pine Crest won Class 2A individual doubles state titles in both the boys’ and girls’ competitions. The two Pine Crest boys -- junior Kenneth Chan and senior Krisztian Meszaros -- defeated Eastside’s Viktor Mai and Bryson Ko, 6-2, 6-2.
The Pine Crest girls -- senior Michaela Landry and eighth-grader Natasha Jerkunica -- defeated Satellite’s Maya Boysen and Ellie Carpenter, 6-2, 6-1.
All four of those Pine Crest players will go for the overall doubles titles on Friday, and they are confident.
“We put a lot of focus into doubles this year because it’s often the x-factor in close matches,” Pine Crest coach Corey Marsh said. “We also saw a good opportunity to win individual state titles, and it’s nice to see our players’ hard work paying off.”
▪ Doral Academy’s Ezequiel De La Plaza lost in the Class 4A individual state singles final, 6-3, 6-2, to Lake Nona’s Sid Mouturi. In the semifinals De La Plaza defeated Strawberry Crest’s Jaden Thompson, 6-2, 6-0.
▪ Doral’s Patricia Palencia lost to top-seeded Alyssa Novoa of Apopka, 6-4, 6-3, in the Class 4A individual state singles final.
▪ Doral’s Palencia and Peyton Seidle-Lubowitz won their semifinal match, 6-2, 6-2, over Celebration High’s Valeria Lopez and Samantha Altamiranda. Their final was set for later Thursday night.
▪ Gulliver’s boys’ team was eliminated in the Class 2A quarterfinals by Delray Beach American Heritage, 5-0.