IHSAA Girls Tennis

1995-96 State Finals in Review

Top-ranked Evansville Memorial (19-0) made Indiana girls tennis history on June 1, 1996 by becoming the first school to win four consecutive IHSAA Girls Team Tennis championships. The Tigers completed their fourth consecutive perfect season by defeating fifth-ranked Penn 5-0 in the semifinals and second-ranked Homestead 3-2 in the championship at North Central High School in Indianapolis.

It was the fifth IHSAA girls tennis title overall for Evansville Memorial, which was coached by Brenda Walling. The Tigers have won 83 consecutive matches over the past four seasons. They also had defeated Homestead in the 1995 championship match, winning 5-0.

Evansville Memorial clinched the title by winning the three singles matches against Homestead before the doubles matches concluded. Senior Courtney Hague, Evansville Memorial's No. 2 singles player, completed a 25-0 season and a perfect high school career by winning two matches. Teammate Natalie Palmenter, a junior at No. 3 singles, also finished 25-0 with straight set victories against opponents from Penn and Homestead.

Carmel, which fell 4-1 to Homestead in the semifinals, defeated Penn 3-2 to take consolation honors for the second straight year.

Margo Stevenson, Evansville Memorial's No. 1 singles player, was selected as the 1996 recipient of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Girls Tennis. Stevenson finished the season 24-1 and played on four consecutive state championship teams. She ranks 40th in a class of 177 students and is a member of the National Honor Society. Stevenson will attend Southern Methodist University, where she will major in business. Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of all IHSAA tournaments, will award a $1,000 scholarship to Evansville Memorial High School in Stevenson's name.

Despite a 20-minute rain delay, Heritage Hills' Stephanie Hazlett and the Munster doubles team of Kavita Chowdary and Annie Knish were crowned champions at the IHSAA Girls Tennis Singles and Doubles tournaments at North Central High School in Indianapolis on June 8, 1996.

Hazlett finished her junior season unbeaten at 17-0 following a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Park Tudor senior Becky Wallihan in the 15th Annual Singles championship. Hazlett's win marked the first state championship of any kind for Heritage Hills, a school of 695 located in Spencer County in southern Indiana. It was the only loss of the year for Wallihan who ended at 22-1.

Hazlett, the 1994 state singles runner-up, earned her way into the championship match by ousting 1995 runner-up and previously unbeaten Erika Quebe of Perry Meridian, 6-1, 6-0 on Saturday morning. Wallihan recorded a 6-4, 6-1 win over North Central (Indianapolis) freshman Jessica Levin to advance to the title match.

Munster's Chowdary, and Knish, a senior and sophomore respectively, bested the Homestead sophomore duo of Alicia Butz and Molly Figel, 6-0, 6-2 for the 6th Annual Doubles championship. Chowdary and Knish wound up 27-1 for the year and won the first tennis state title of any kind for the northwest Indiana school. Butz and Figel ended 26-2.

In the Saturday morning semifinal round, the Munster pair defeated Delta juniors Aly Ferguson and Andrea Bookmyer, 6-3, 6-2. In the other doubles match, Butz and Figel went the distance before advancing past Castle's senior team of Katie Vote and Angie Smith, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6).

22ND ANNUAL TEAM STATE FINALS

June 1, 1996

North Central High School, Indianapolis

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Evansville Memorial 3, Homestead 2.

#1 Singles -- Margo Stevenson (EM), senior, def. Candace Klingelheber, senior (H), 6-1, 6-2.

#2 Singles -- Courtney Hague (EM), senior, def. Michelle Evans, senior (H), 6-3, 6-2.

#3 Singles -- Natalie Palmenter (EM), senior, def. Veronica Carr, junior (H), 6-0, 6-4.

#1 Doubles -- Alicia Butz, sophomore, and Molly Figel, sophomore (H), def. Ann Poosuthasee, sophomore and Sarah Speer, senior, (EM), 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.

#2 Doubles -- Sasha Cooperman, junior, and Katherine Walker, junior (H) def. Carie Edge, freshman, and Lorien Ingalls, sophomore, (EM), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

CONSOLATION MATCH

Carmel 3, Penn 2.

#1 Singles -- Melissa Woods (P), freshman, def. Kristin Fenton (C), junior, 6-0, 6-2.

#2 Singles -- Joi McQueen (C), freshman, def. Andrea Runyon (P), senior, 6-2, 6-2.

#3 Singles -- Emily Neukam (C), freshman, def. Ashley Owen (P), senior, 6-0, 6-2.

#1 Doubles -- . Joceline McQueen, senior, and Lindsi Shine, senior (C) def. Angela Bitner, junior and Melissa Hayes, junior, (P), 6-3, 6-3.

#2 Doubles -- Caroline Hoenk, sophomore, and Amanda Zeltner, junior (P), def. Amy Choi, senior and Kady Steele, senior (C), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).

SEMIFINALS #1

Evansville Memorial 5, Penn 0.

#1 Singles -- Margo Stevenson (EM), senior, def. Melissa Woods (P), freshman, 6-4, 6-2.

#2 Singles -- Courtney Hague (EM), senior, def. Andrea Runyon (P), senior, 6-0, 6-0.

#3 Singles -- Natalie Palmenter (EM), senior, def. Ashley Owen (P), senior, 6-2, 6-4.

#1 Doubles -- Ann Poosuthasee, sophomore and Sarah Speer, senior, (EM) def. Angela Bitner, junior and Melissa Hayes, junior, (P), 6-4, 6-1.

#2 Doubles -- Carie Edge, freshman, and Lorien Ingalls, sophomore, (EM) def. Caroline Hoenk, sophomore, and Amanda Zeltner, junior (P), 6-2, 6-4.

SEMIFINALS #2

Homestead 4, Carmel 1.

#1 Singles -- Candace Klingelheber, senior (H), def. Kristin Fenton, junior (C), 6-3, 6-2.

#2 Singles -- Michelle Evans, senior (H), def. Joi McQueen, freshman (C), 7-6 (7-0), 6-3.

#3 Singles -- Emily Neukam, freshman (C) def. Veronica Carr, junior (H), 6-0, 6-0.

#1 Doubles -- Alicia Butz, sophomore, and Molly Figel, sophomore (H), def. Joceline McQueen, senior, and Lindsi Shine, senior (C), 6-4, 6-4.

#2 Doubles -- Sasha Cooperman, junior, and Katherine Walker, junior (H) def. Amy Choi, senior and Kady Steele, senior (C), 6-4, 6-0.

15TH ANNUAL SINGLES STATE FINALS

June 8, 1996

North Central High School, Indianapolis

SEMIFINALS RESULTS

Stephanie Hazlett, Heritage Hills, (16-0) d. Erika Quebe, junior, Perry Meridian (23-1) 6-1, 6-0.

Becky Wallihan, Park Tudor (22-0) d. Jessica Levin, Indianapolis North Central (17-5) 6-4, 6-1.

CONSOLATION

Erika Quebe, junior, Perry Meridian (24-1) d. Jessica Levin, Indianapolis North Central (17-6) 6-3, 6-4.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Stephanie Hazlett, Heritage Hills (17-0) d. Becky Wallihan, Park Tudor (22-1) 6-2, 6-3.

SIXTH ANNUAL DOUBLES STATE FINALS

SEMIFINALS RESULTS

Alicia Butz, sophomore/Molly Figel, sophomore, Homestead (26-1) d. Katie Vote, senior/Angie Smith, senior, Castle (22-3) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6).

Kavita Chowdary, senior/Annie Knish, sophomore, Munster (26-1) d. Aly Ferguson, junior/Andrea Bookmeyer, junior, Delta.(22-1) 6-3,

6-2.

CONSOLATION

Katie Vote, senior/Angie Smith, senior, Castle (23-3) d. Aly Ferguson, junior/Andrea Bookmeyer, junior, Delta.(22-2) 7-6 (7-1), 6-3.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Kavita Chowdary, senior/Annie Knish, sophomore, Munster (27-1) d. Alicia Butz, sophomore/Molly Figel, sophomore, Homestead (26-2) 6-0, 6-2.