Three Downers Grove South Mustangs are competing at the IHSA Girls Tennis State Finals in Buffalo Grove.
Lily David, the sectional singles champion, leads the DGS contingent. Doubles partners Gianna Caruso and Aurija Ostapenko round out the group. The three-day Class 2A tournament opened Thursday, Oct. 22, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 24, according to the Peoria Journal Star. The top four finishers in singles and doubles at sectional play earned state berths.
David swept sectional singles final
David punched her ticket to state with a commanding sectional singles final. She defeated Naperville North's Anda Elezi 6-0, 6-0 to claim the crown, NCTV17 reported. She was the No. 1 seed in the sectional draw.
DGS Athletics named David the Girls Tennis Athlete of the Month and described her as entering the state finals with an undefeated record.
As we reported Oct. 21, David's singles run had already drawn attention heading into the postseason.
Caruso and Ostapenko qualify in doubles
Caruso and Ostapenko earned their state berth as sectional doubles runners-up. The DGS pair faced a crosstown rival in the doubles final, falling to Downers Grove North's Olivia Tan and Danielle Wilinski 7-5, 6-2, according to NCTV17. Despite the loss, their finish inside the top four secured a trip to Buffalo Grove.
The doubles qualification gives DGS representation in both brackets at the state tournament. DGS Athletics posted congratulations to all three players on Thursday, Oct. 22, wishing them well as competition got underway.
Mustangs tied for second at sectionals
DGS finished tied for second in the team sectional standings with 20 points, alongside Naperville Central. Naperville North won the team sectional championship by just two points, according to NCTV17.
That narrow margin underscored how competitive the sectional field was. Sending qualifiers in both singles and doubles out of that group is a strong result for the Mustangs program.
The state tournament concludes Saturday, Oct. 24, in Buffalo Grove.
