Pine Crest senior ends career with tears, and a title; Palmetto, Heritage win team titles
Last year, having lost her confidence, Bridget Chalich quit tennis.
On Friday morning – in the final match of her incredible comeback season – the Pine Crest senior won the Class 2A individual state championship, beating Baron Collier’s Chelsea Casapu, 6-2, 1-6 (11-9), at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs.
When the match was over, Chalich dropped her racquet and started sobbing.
Since she does not plan to play college tennis, this was the emotional culmination of a tennis journey that started 14 years ago when she was four.
“This,” Chalich said, “was the most meaningful match of my life.”
Chalich was on the Pine Crest team as a freshman. As a sophomore, she quit the team so that she could train for tennis’ junior circuit.
Then, when the stress became too great, she quit tennis during her junior year.
During that year away from the game, she worked as a hostess at Fort Lauderdale’s Aruba Beach Café.
It was her first job.
“I liked the experience of working and learning to make my own money,” said Chalich, who in August will enroll at Florida State University, where she plans to major in Accounting while on a pre-law track. “I learned how to communicate in a professional setting and how to be respectful to everyone who walks in through those doors.”
For her senior year, Chalich decided to return to the Pine Crest team, and it was great decision.
Chalich praised Pine Crest coach Corey Marsh with being able to handle her head-strong ways.
“I don’t like to take coaching,” Chalich admitted. “I get angry a lot. Tennis is an individual sport, and there are times when I go rogue.
“But my emotions fuel me. That’s how I thrive. I did drive (Marsh) crazy, but we have a great relationship.
“He knows when to temper my emotions and when to let me do my thing.”
Marsh said he’s proud of Chalich, who had offers to play tennis at the next level but wanted a more normal college experience instead.
“She put everything she had into this season,” Marsh said. “I’m glad the game gave something back to her that she will remember for the rest of her life.”
Still, while the result was great, getting there wasn’t easy for Chalich.
To win state, she had to prevail in four matches spread out over just three days.
Since she had quit tennis her junior year, Chalich said she wasn’t used to playing that many matches in so few days.
In fact, she woke up on Thursday at 6 a.m. in agony. Her whole body hurt – especially her back – and she was thinking about retiring one match early.
Fortunately for her, Pine Crest boys’ tennis player Ashwin Chawla texted her at 6:15 to wish her luck, and he ended up convincing Chalich to push through the pain.
That’s exactly what Chalich did, winning the first set before losing confidence again in a dreadful second set.
Then Chalich -- who is an aggressive base-liner who likes to take swinging volleys out of the air – geared up for the tiebreaker, which is up to 10 with a minimum of a two-point margin.
Chalich led 6-2 before falling behind 8-6. She rallied quickly, and the score was tied 9-9 before Chalich won the final two points of the match.
“Bridget grew so much this season,” Marsh said. “She really locked in at state, and she saved her best for last.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ Palmetto’s girls’ tennis team won the Class 4A state title on Thursday, upsetting top-seeded Lake Nona, 4-3.
Palmetto started the day at 8 a.m. with a 4-0 win over Wellington in the state semifinals. Then came the Lake Nona match, which ended eight hours later in a marathon day for the Panthers.
In the deciding match, Palmetto’s No. 1 singles player, Catherine Cardona, defeated Lake Nona’s Aspen Wooten, 5-7, 7-5 (10-7).
“It was the most heart I’ve seen from a team in a long time,” Palmetto coach Kelly Gibson said of her girls. “It was an amazing week.”
The Panthers won their eighth state championship and second in the past three seasons. Palmetto’s girls are now tied for the fourth-most state titles in Miami-Dade County history with Ransom Everglades and behind Miami Beach (13), Miami Sunset (10) and Miami Gulliver Prep (10).
▪ Also in the 4A boys’ competition, Palmetto’s Stefan Correa finished second overall in individual singles. Palmetto’s Beau Gibson and Correa finished second overall in doubles.
▪ American Heritage’s girls secured their first state title since 2021 and their eighth overall for the program on Thursday after beating Naples Barron Collier 4-2 in the Class 2A final. The Patriots’ total of championships ranks third in Broward County history behind Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (14) and Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (12).
This year, American Heritage lost to Pine Crest in districts before getting hot in regional play. The Patriots beat Delray American Heritage 4-0 in the regional semifinals, avenging a 2024 playoff loss.
Then, in the regional finals, the Patriots trailed Pine Crest 3-2 before rallying for a 4-3 win.
Following a pair of 4-0 wins over McKeel Academy (state quarterfinals) and Lake Highland Prep (state semifinals), the Patriots won a nail-biter against Barron Collier.
In that match, the Patriots lost at No. 1 singles when Tina Liu had to withdraw in the tiebreaker due to leg cramps.
At No. 2 singles, the Patriots’ Emily Huang lost the first set but won the second and took a 12-10 tiebreaker.
The Patriots got one win in doubles on a 13-11 tiebreaker, and they got the point at No. 5 singles with Ellie Bill.
American Heritage clinched it with a victory from No. 3 singles player Angelina Lin, who won, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 13-11. She rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the second set.
Said Patriots coach Toby Croke: “We clicked at the right time this season.”
▪ Doral Academy lost 4-3 to Lake Nona in the boys’ Class 4A state final.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 6:59 PM.