Warren tennis season winds down

Mueller, Carroll shine at Buhl Farm Invitational

HERMITAGE -- The Warren girls tennis team traveled to Buhl Park last Tuesday and returned with a pair of individual championship appearances, two individual trophies and a third-place finish overall in a tournament featuring 10 teams.

One of the biggest highlights of the day came from the Dragons' first doubles team of Laelah Mueller and Laken Carroll. The pair captured the first doubles championship after battling back from a 5-9 deficit in the 10-game pro set and saving three match points along the way before eventually winning the match in a tiebreaker.

"This was one of the better first doubles teams the girls have faced all year, so it was a really solid win for our girls," Warren head coach Thomas Pellegrino said. "There is no coaching allowed during the tournament, so it was really fun to watch Laelah and Laken talk things out once they got down, come up with a new game plan and then execute it. I think that was the best doubles performance they've put together all season."

Scotlynn Perry also advanced to the championship match at first singles after pulling off another impressive comeback in the semifinals. Perry fell behind 4-7 in the eight-game pro set before fighting her way back to tie the match at 7-7. With the tournament format requiring a tiebreaker, Perry continued to battle, saving a match point before closing out the breaker 9-7 and earning another singles victory at the No. 1 spot.

Perry's run came to an end in the championship match against Erie, where she fell 5-10.

"For Scotlynn, being a sophomore and playing singles for the first time this season, stepping into the No. 1 spot, finishing second in this tournament is a tremendous accomplishment," Pellegrino said. "We're extremely proud of the season she's had, the competitive spirit she brings to the team, and we're excited about the bright future ahead of her."

Another highlight came from the Dragons' fourth doubles team of Olivia Cressley and Hunter Fox. The first-year players won three matches and advanced all the way to the semifinals of the largest doubles event of the tournament.

Overall, it was a strong day of tennis for the Dragons. The entire team was able to participate, with Warren picking up big wins across multiple flights and ultimately finishing third out of the 10 teams competing.

"We were extremely pleased with how this young squad held their own this year, and we believe we exceeded our expectations," Pellegrino said. "We couldn't run it back and win the tournament this year, but we were really happy with how the girls competed and the experience they gained throughout the day."