Highland earns big win

Updated: May 24, 2011 10:54PM

HIGHLAND — Another classic girls tennis regional match.

Another victory for Highland.

The No. 2 doubles team of Meredith Garcia and Nikki Goodeve won the decisive match in a third-set tiebreaker as the Trojans edged Munster 3-2 in the semifinals of the Highland Regional on Tuesday.

In last season’s championship match against the Mustangs, the Trojans had won 3-2 in a third-set tiebreaker with Vanessa Madrigal at No. 1 singles to secure the program’s first title.

Highland (17-2) will try to make it two straight titles in today’s final against Crown Point (12-9), which defeated Bishop Noll (12-3) 4-1 in a semifinal on Tuesday.

“It feels like the championship, but obviously we know it’s not, because Crown Point is an excellent team,” said Highland coach Adam Baez, whose team topped Crown Point 3-2 on April 20, before the Trojans revamped their lineup, which paid huge dividends on Tuesday. “Munster is always the class school in tennis in the history of Northwest Indiana. So to beat them, the school’s archrival and traditionally the best team, is unbelievably exciting. Last year was amazing, and to do it again, without some of the horses — we had to work even harder.”

Garcia and Goodeve emerged as the heroes this time, pulling out a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory against Andjela Radmilovic and Mariana Rogers. Almost 70 minutes after all the other matches had finished, they closed out their victory on their third match point of the tiebreaker and fourth overall, having also held one in the 10th game of the third set.

“We just believed in ourselves,” Goodeve said.

“We knew it was going to come down to us,” Garcia said. “We were ready.”

Indeed, Munster (13-2) had edged Highland 3-2 on April 21, and Baez spent much of the rest of the season figuring out a lineup for a potential rematch. He “loaded up” in doubles, eventually putting Aby Madrigal and Liz Quinn at No. 1, and Garcia and Goodeve at No. 2 late in the regular season.

“They’re an amazing team,” Baez said of Munster. “They go deeper than we do, so I knew it would come down to matchups. I was hoping the plan would work. I lost a little faith when we lost the first set at two doubles, but I kept telling them, ‘We’re still in it, we’re still in it.’

“We put all our eggs in three baskets. We knew it was going to be tough to win at two and three singles. I’m just so glad for the girls it worked.”

Garcia and Goodeve clicked quickly, aided by the fact that the juniors play along side each other in soccer as center midfielders. “We mesh perfectly,” Goodeve said.

Munster took the first point when Christiann Tavitas beat Sarah Hojnicki 6-0, 6-2 at No. 3 singles. Five minutes later, Highland’s Aby Madrigal and Quinn beat Paige Heuer and Erica Tritsch 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles.

Highland took a 2-1 lead when Vanessa Madrigal topped Jessica Rooth 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1 singles. Moments later, Munster’s Sam Sakevicius wrapped up a 6-2, 6-3 victory against Lan Franczek at No. 2 singles.

At that point, the Trojans were leading 4-3 in the second set at No. 2 doubles, after the Mustangs had won the first set.

“I thought our two doubles kept digging themselves a hole and kept fighting out,” Munster coach Bill Heuer said. “If they could’ve started better in the second and third sets (the Trojans led 4-1 in the third), things might’ve been different. Playing from behind is a hard way to play. In the end, we made a few too many unforced errors. And Highland played a great match.

“Highland deserves to move on.”

The Bulldogs received straight-sets victories from Amber Haworth at No. 2 singles, Abby Kvachkoff at No. 3, Kelly Gross and Gabby Touchette at No. 1 doubles, and Kristin Overbey and Mackenzie Shelley at No. 2. Stacy Krahn recorded the Warriors’ victory in straight sets at No. 1 singles, as she remained undefeated this season and remains in contention in the individual tournament.

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