PRATT – Central Plains Oiler Emily Ryan played her best tennis of her life, but it wasn’t quite enough.
The tears that flowed showed the heart of a champion who gave a championship match her absolute best effort. Ryan commanded the net, struck perfect serves and hit winning groundstrokes for a 4-0 championship lead.
“I played one of my best matches,” Ryan said. “I tried to step up my game. You have to when you play someone as good as her.”
But Kansas City Christian's Lilly McNeill is also a champion, a two-time state champion after outlasting Ryan 6-4, 6-3 in Saturday’s 321A state singles championship for the second straight year.
The 5-foot-9 Ryan played flawlessly at the start, putting together every phase of her game to never trail in the first four games. Her best shots occurred when she hit winners at the net, a tactic that caught McNeill off guard.
“I came out strong and she wasn’t hitting the shots she was later in the match,” Ryan said. “I played aggressive into the net.”
However, McNeill (24-1) kicked her game to match Ryan’s sparkling play. McNeill won virtually every long rally and started hitting winners to both corners of the court. McNeill never trailed in the next six games and converted three consecutive break points for a 6-4 first-set victory.
“I started playing looser and went for more shots,” McNeill said. “It’s pretty fun. I have a lot of respect for Emily because she’s a great athlete. She played more consistent and got to a lot more balls this year.”
Ryan broke McNeill’s service twice in the second set. Ryan’s hustle paid off with five consecutive points to rally from a 40-love deficit in game 3 for a brief 2-1 lead.
“I continued to fight and kept trying to hit shots.” Ryan said.
Ryan rocketed back-to-back serves to save two game points in game 6, but McNeill prevailed for a 4-2 lead.
McNeill closed out the match by breaking Ryan’s serve for the third time in the set. Ryan’s first serve effectiveness dropped off in the second set.
“I definitely lost a huge advantage when I didn’t get my first serve in,” Ryan said. “By far, Lilly is the best player I’ve played all year. She was amazing at the end.”
Ryan (33-1) lost her first match, but improved after losing 6-2, 6-0 last year.
“I was definitely able to hit more shots this year,” Ryan said. “I played more aggressive and she didn’t have as many easy putaway shots this time. My first serve got a lot better and I played more consistent.”
Ryan said she’s looking forward to one more chance next year.
“It’s a lot of motivation,” she said. “She’s very talented. I’m going to try and close the gap a little more.”
Ryan cruised to three easy wins to reach 321A state championship. Ryan beat Hesston's Halle Krehbiel 6-2, 6-0 in Saturday's semifinals.
Hoisington's doubles Emma Mooney-Marta Vara Rodriguez (21-12) reached the quarterfinals before losing 7-6 (7-1), 6-1 to Kansas City Christian's Juliet Bartels-Emily Arnold. Mooney and Rodriguez finished eighth with a 2-3 record after they had to injury default in their final match. The Cardinals tied McPherson Elyria for 11th place with eight points.
Larned’s doubles tandem Macy Haas-Katelynn Sanger (34-5) won three of six matches and finished 10th with a 9-3 loss to Hesston's Ashley Hubbard-Mackenzie Unruh.
Kansas City Christian (40) captured the team title with Hesston (34) finishing runner-up and Conway Springs (29) third.
321A STATE TENNIS
SINGLES BRACKET
FINALS
1ST—Lilly McNeill, KC Christian (24-1) def. Emily Ryan, Central Plains (33-1), 6-4, 6-3
3RD—Lily Perrin, Salina Sacred Heart (31-5) def. Halle Krehbiel, Hesston (24-9), 6-2, 6-7 (7-5), 6-1
5TH—Emma Sand, KC Christian def. Sence Cadman, Wichita Independent, 9-1
7TH—Maggie Mathes, Chaparral def. Makenzie Archer, McPherson Elyria, 9-1
9TH—Molly Schmanke, Conway Springs def. Brooklyn Kuhn, Victoria, 9-4
11TH—Adrian Dietz, WaKeeney Trego def. Isabella Matteucci, Sacred Heart, 9-5
SEMIFINALS
McNeill, KC Christian def. Perrin, Salina Sacred Heart, 6-0, 6-0
Ryan, Central Plains def. Krehbiel, Hesston, 6-1, 6-2
QUARTERFINALS
McNeill, KC Christian def. Cadman, Independent, 6-3, 6-0
Perrin, Sacred Heart def. Schmanke, Conway Springs, 6-2, 6-0
Ryan, Central Plains def. Sand, KC Christian, 6-2, 6-0
Krehbiel, Hesston def. Mathes, Chaparral, 6-0, 6-2
SECOND ROUND
McNeill, KC Christian def. Jacie Roth, Phillipsburg, 6-0, 6-1
Cadman, Wichita Independent def. Kiara Sweat, Victoria, 6-2, 6-2
Perrin, Sacred Heart def. Kristina Head, Lyons, 6-0, 6-1
Schmanke, Conway Springs def. Kuhn, Victoria, 6-2, 6-0
Ryan, Central Plains def. Archer, McPherson Elyria, 6-0, 6-0
Sands, KC Christian def. Kristin Anderson, Larned, 6-2, 6-1.
Mathes, Chaparral def. Adrian Dietz, Trego, 6-0, 6-2
Krehbiel, Hesston def.. Katharine Moffitt, Cimarron, 6-2, 6-0
FIRST ROUND
Roth, Phillipsburg def. Monica Gleason, Meade, 6-2, 6-0
Sweat, Victoria def. Ali Unruh, Meade, 6-2, 6-1
Perrin, Sacred Heart def. Taylor Pollock, So. Barber, 6-0, 6-1
Schmanke, Conway Springs def. Isabella Matteucci, Sacred Heart, 6-3, 6-3
Archer, McPherson Elyria def. Loren May, Conway Springs, 6-3, 3-6, (10-5)
Sands, KC Christian def. Caeli Clennan, Hutchinson Trinity, 6-1, 6-0
Dietz, WaKeeney Trego def. Christen Osborn, Kiowa Co. 6-3, 6-0
Moffitt, Cimarron def. Abbi LeBeau, Scott City, 6-0, 6-3
CONSOLATION
Anderson, Larned def. LeBeau, Scott City, 9-1; Archer, Elyria def. Anderson, Larned, 9-0
DOUBLES BRACKET
FINALS
1ST—Kylie Martin-Michaela Martin, Hesston (26-4) def. Juliet Bartels -Emily Arnold, KC Christian (18-10), 6-0, 6-4
3RD—Kara Koester -Karlee Osner, Conway Springs (25-7) def. Jasmine Bates -Lydia Miller, Sterling (26-7), 6-2, 6-2
5TH—Graci Folks-Samantha Worthington, Perry-Lecompton def. Kassie Sheridan-Cassidy Kroboth, Ellsworth, 9-7
7TH—Leslie Mies -Nicole Campbell, Conway Springs def. Emma Mooney -Marta Rodriguez, Hoisington, injury default
9TH—Ashley Hubbard-Mackenzie Unruh, Hesston vs. Macy Haas-Katelynn Sanger, Larned, 9-3
11TH—Logan Solida -Megan Stapel, Phillipsburg def. Jaide Talbott-Jaycee Cunningham, Ellsworth, 9-7
SEMIFINALS
Bartels-Arnold, KC Christian def. Koester-Osner, Conway Springs,, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Martin-Martin, Hesston def. Bates-Miller, Sterling, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
QUARTERFINALS
Koester-Osner, Conway Springs def. Folks-Worthington, Perry, 6-1, 7-5
Bartels-Arnold, KC Christian def. Mooney-Rodriguez, Hoisington, 7-6 (7-1), 6-1
Martin-Martin, Hesston def. Sheridan-Kroboth, Ellswort , 6-4, 6-3
Bates-Miller, Sterling def. Mies-Campbell, Conway Springs, 6-2, 6-3
SECOND ROUND
Koester-Osner, Conway Springs def. Hubbard-Unruh, Hesston (10-3), 6-1, 6-1
Folks-Worthington, Perry-Lecompton def. Lauren Crotinger -Brittany Luebbers, Tribune-Greeley Co. 6-0, 6-0
Mooney-Rodriguez, Hoisington def. Noelle Graham-Graciela Diaz, Hutchinson Trinity, 6-3, 6-1
Bartels-Arnold, KC Christian def. Rebecca Friesen-Bristol Lewis, Meade, 6-3, 6-1
Martin-Martin, Hesston def. Fiona Armstrong-Sarah Green, Wichita Classical, 6-0, 6-1
Sheridan-Kroboth, Ellsworth def. Kiarra Farha-Madeline Lancelot, Wichita Independent, 6-4, 6-1
Bates-Miller, Sterling def. Haas-Sanger, Larned, 6-3, 5-7 (10-4)
Mies-Campbell, Conway Springs def. McKiah San Miguel -Kinzie Comley, Sterling, 6-4, 7-5
FIRST ROUND
Hubbard-Unruh, Hesston def. Talbott-Cunningham, Ellsworth, 6-3, 7-5.
Folks-Worthington, Perry-Lecompton def. Kalli Moore -Nyla Salinas, Phillipsburg, 6-1, 6-1
Graham-Diaz, Hutchinson Trinity def. Wittney Hammeke -Taryn Robl, Ellinwood, 6-3, 6-3
Friesen-Lewis, Meade def. Madilynn Maple -Liberty Vogel, Pittsburg Colgan, 6-3, 6-2
Armstrong-Green, Wichita Classical def. Allison Dale -Maddie Martin, South Central, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)
Farha-Lancelot, Wichita Independent def. Cheyenne Lile-Corrie Upson, Larned, 6-0, 6-0
Bates-Miller, Sterling def. Bailee Bachar-Jacquelyn Gonzalez, Hoisington, 6-3, 6-0
San Miguel-Comley, Sterling def. Solida-Stapel, Phillipsburg, 6-2, 6-3
CONSOLATION
Mooney-Rodriguez, Hoisington def. Salida-Stapel, Phillipsburg, 9-8 (7-5); Folks-Worthington, Perry def. Mooney-Rodriguez, 9-4; Haas-Sanger, Larned def. Dale-Martin, South Central, 9-4; Haas-Sanger def. San Miguel-Comley, Sterling, 9-0; Folks-Worthington, Perry def. Haas, Sanger, 9-3; Armstrong-Green, Wichita Classical def. Bachar-Gonzalez, Hoisington, 9-4; Hubbard-Unruh, Hesston def. Hammeke-Robl, Ellinwood, 9-2; San Miguel-Comley, Sterling def. Lile-Upston, Larned, 9-0
TEAM SCORES
1—KC Christian 40
2—Hesston 34
3—Conway Springs 29
4—Salina Sacred Heart 29
5—Central Plains 14; Sterling 14; Ellsworth 14
8—Wichita Independent 11, Perry Lecompton 11
10—Chaparral 9
11—Hoisington 8, McPherson Elyria 8
13—Victoria 7
14—Larned 6, Phillipsburg 6
16—WaKeeney-Trego 5
17—Meade 2, Tribune Greeley Co. 2, Hutchinson Trinity 2, Wichita Classical
21—Cimarron 1, Lyons 1, South Barber 1
