St. Johns girls top Seton by a point to repeat as WCAC tennis Champs

No one was quite prepared for just how much every point would matter, including the title-clinching duo of Eva Marie Doomes and Nadia Watkins. Both were coming off singles wins, and they had to regroup for a doubles match against host Paul VI.

We were really just kind of Rocky in the beginning, Watkins said. We were really nervous, and that was our winning game, so we knew we had to win. That was a lot of pressure. But once we had a gap, we were really confident.

The St. Johns duo knew how to handle that pressure. Undefeated throughout the season, Doomes and Watkins relied on their communication to find a rhythm.

The hardest thing about it was the fact that its not even just yourself on the court and just your thoughts, but you also have to think about your partner, like, Am I setting up my partner for success or failure? Doomes said. I told my coach, I need someone cheering for me so I can focus. And she did exactly that.

Teams earned one point for each singles and doubles win in the quarterfinals Thursday, two points in the semifinals Saturday and three points in the tournament finals. Ireton finished with 18 points; Paul VI had 11.

Although Doomes and Watkinss win at second doubles pushed St. Johns past Rival Seton for good, by the time it ended the Cadets and Roadrunners were still locked in a battle on the first doubles court. Setons Camille Hall and Lauryn Anderson, despite knowing the Roadrunners no longer had a chance to hoist the Championship plaque, still had something to prove.

One of the longest matches of the day, Hall and Anderson kept multiple rallies at bay to maintain the lead and come away with a Victory against Chloe Walker and Gabrielle Pierce to make the final tally closer.

I was going to win by any means, Anderson said. So I was like: I don’t care if we lose. I’m going to go home as first place in something.

Still, it was the Cadets day.

St. Johns also beat Seton in the WCAC tournament last year, but this time it was favored to do so after establishing itself as the team to beat. Thats why Nguyen also called out the following to her players throughout the tournament: You know who you are!