FAIR OAKS, Calif. – Freshman Maria McDougall defeated Cosumnes Oaks' Sydney Hsu and Davis' Hannah Proctor in straight sets before falling to Pleasant Grove's Emi Mikami in the semifinal round of the Delta League girls' tennis singles championship, held at Laguna Creek Sports Club Monday.
McDougall opened the day with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Hsu; then followed with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Proctor. Her road to the league championship ended with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Mikami. She will now take on Gabby Williams, also of Cosumnes Oaks, for the third and final individual qualifier to the Sac-Joaquin Section singles championship. McDougall and Williams opted to square off on Tuesday to allow for the possibility that they advance to the section postseason in the doubles arena. Their match will take place at 4 p.m., also at Laguna Creek SC.
Regardless of Tuesday's outcome, McDougall clinched an All-Delta League patch, bestowed upon the top four singles players and top four doubles tandems at the two individual league championship tournaments.
McDougall was one of two Troubies in the main draw. Fellow freshman Alexa Randall went out in the first round, falling to Pleasant Grove's Jeannie Zhang in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
Among the No. 3 through No. 6 singles brackets, junior Anna Dinh fared the best. She blasted both Elk Grove's Avery Raw and PG's Lauren Hoang by matching 6-0, 6-1 scores, before falling to Davis' Molly Nansen in the final. Meanwhile, Tatum Walbeck and Arden Garcia each advanced one round in the No. 3 and No. 6 draws before being eliminated.
The Delta League singles championship consisted of a 16-player main draw that determines all-league and SJS qualification status, plus four eight-player brackets for each of the No. 3 through No. 6 singles.
Besides the McDougall-Williams match on Tuesday, the Delta League individual championhips continue on Wednesday with the doubles brackets. Similarly to singles, the doubles tourney will crown four All-Delta League pairs and qualify three teams to the CIF-SJS postseason.
OCT. 24 UPDATE: McDougall defeated Wiliams in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, in Tuesday's third-place match to earn the third and final league berth to the Sac-Joaquin Section individual championship. That tourney takes place on November 2-3 at Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville.
2023 DELTA LEAGUE SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP
Laguna Creek Sports Club (Elk Grove, Calif.)
MAIN DRAW
Jeannie Zhang (Pleasant Grove) def. Alexa Randall (SF), 6-2, 6-1
Maria McDougall (SF) def. Sydney Hsu (Cosumnes Oaks), 6-3, 6-1
Maria McDougall (SF) def. Hannah Proctor (Davis), 6-1, 6-1
Emi Mikami (PG) def. Maria McDougall (SF), 6-2, 6-2
NO. 3 DRAW
Tatum Walbeck (SF) def. opponent unknown, 6-4, 6-2
Jade Yen-Calhoun (PG) def. Tatum Walbeck (SF), 6-3, 6-3
NO. 4 DRAW
Bianca Ho (D) def. Sophia Troppmann (SF), 7-5, 6-4
NO. 5 DRAW
Anna Dinh (SF) def. Avery Rau (Elk Grove), 6-0, 6-1
Anna Dinh (SF) def. Lauren Hoang (PG), 6-0, 6-1
Molly Nansen (D) def. Anna Dinh (SF), 6-0, 7-5
NO. 6 DRAW
Arden Garcia (SF) def. Khloe Nguyen (F), 6-2, 6-1
Ciara Wallace (D) def. Arden Garcia (SF), 3-6, 6-4, 1-0
