Tigers tennis duos set to face first-round opponents today

October 19, 2023

Tigers tennis duos set to face first-round opponents today

Members of the Urbana High School tennis will be competing at the IHSA Girls Tennis State Finals today at Buffalo Grove and other surrounding high school sites. Doubles pair Lorilei Yau, Eisla Madigan, head coach Parker Sands, assistant coach Jeff Unger, and the doubles team of Luna Morales and Alisa Tangmunarunkit will represent the Tigers at the season finale event.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

BUFFALO GROVE - There's nothing like competing against the best athletes in the state. Urbana's #1 and #2 doubles pairs will put their training and mental stamina put to the test when they take the court in Day 1 competition at the Illinois High School Association's Girls Tennis State Final.

Tigers Alisa Tangmunarunkit and Luna Morales play their opening match against Sycamore's Jetta Weaver and Madyson Block at Schaumburg High School. Tangmunarunkit and Morales won the Danville championship title on Monday and later celebrated their Senior Night before spending Tuesday and Wednesday preparing for today's match.

Meanwhile, teammates Lorelie Yau and Eisla Madigan, also seniors, will begin their tournament play at Schaumburg High School, three and half miles away. Yau and Madigan, who finished fourth in the sectionals, will face Benet Academy duo Shane Delaney and Clare Lopatka.

After making her first tournament appearance last fall unseeded, University High's Kruthi Ramanath hard work and offseason work delivered dividends by way of a #3-4 seed into this year's Class 1A singles bracket. The sophomore will face Sacred Heart-Griffin senior Mary Kate Christie.

In her freshman-year foray into the IHSA tennis postseason, Ramanath won her first match over Illinois Math and Science Academy's Josie Kim, 6-0, 6-2. Advancing to the next round, she played admirably but ultimately eliminated from the bracket after a 6-3, 6-4 loss to then senior Savannah Web from Richmond-Burton.

State qualified: Urbana and Uni-High tennis players advance to state tennis tournament

Due to rain on Saturday and the lack of indoor court availability, the fate of two Urbana's doubles pairs was settled at Danville High School tennis sectional on Monday. While both qualified for state after serving their way into the semifinal round, all that was left was determing the third-place winners and this year's sectional champions.

Urbana tennis team ready to face all challengers this fall

"We are striving to be the most-improved team from day one until the end of the season," said Tigers' head coach Parker Sands on Tuesday during the team's second day of practice. Rain on Monday forced his first practice indoors to kick off his fifth season at the helm of the program. "We have already started practicing and giving our ..."