Catholic girls tennis team after clinching the 2024 Division II-AA state title Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (photo by Dave Link)
MURFREESBORO – There were some tears of joy amongst the Catholic girls’ tennis team Wednesday afternoon at the Adams Tennis Complex.
The Lady Irish won their fourth consecutive Division II-AA state championship, beating Chattanooga Baylor 4-3 in the final.
Sophomore Lauren Murphy had the clinching point at No. 5 singles.
Murphy, who didn’t play last year because of a back injury, rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over freshman Molly Dononan, and soon the celebration began.
“I’ve never done a clincher or anything,” Murphy said. “I was like, ‘I hope it’s not me,’ but it came down to me, and I didn’t feel any pressure or anything. I just felt like I could do it and I did.”
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She did it in front of boisterous Baylor fans and players in a match lasting almost 4 hours.
Murphy held serve for a 6-5 lead in the third set and then broke Donovan’s serve, winning the match on an overhead.
“It was really stressful,” Murphy said. “I didn’t play last year because my back was hurt, so this year I’ve been coming back. It’s just been so much fun with this team and everything.”
It was Catholic’s fourth consecutive victory over Baylor in the state championship match. The Lady Red Raiders had won nine straight state titles before losing to Catholic 4-2 in the 2021 final.
In their previous three title runs, the Lady Irish relied heavily on 2023 graduates Maeve Thornton and Gigi Sompayrac.
Thornton signed with Furman University and Sompayrac with Anderson University.
“I’m so proud of them because they know the pressure and the lineage of what’s expected of them,” Catholic coach Rusty Morris said, “and to do that more shorthanded than we’ve ever been and to still come through, it just shows you what a team chemistry they have where they fight for one another. I just loved seeing that today.”
FOUR-PEAT BABY!!! ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ pic.twitter.com/ncxbiMRRfd
— Knoxville Catholic Tennis (@kchs_tennis) May 22, 2024
Catholic avenged a 5-2 loss to Baylor on April 16 in Chattanooga.
In that match, the Lady Irish lost the doubles point and were swept in singles at Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Catholic won the doubles point Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead into the six singles matches.
Eleni Liakonis and Payton Carroll won at No. 1 doubles and Murphy and her sister, junior Lillian Murphy, won at No. 2 doubles.
Lillian Murphy, a Furman commitment, watched anxiously as her sister clinched the state championship.
“Honestly, it’s like a surreal experience,” Lillian Murphy said. “I think watching her come back from this injury, I’m driving her to practice, we’re going to practice together every day, we’re working hard on doubles. There’s a lot of work that goes in outside of the Catholic practice. I’ve seen her work a lot mentally as well as physically to be ready, and this is like the best reward possible.”
Baylor tied the match 1-1 when Amelia Ohlsson beat Mary Caroline Ellis 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.
Lillie Murphy gave Baylor a 2-1 lead with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Margarette Berdy at No. 1 singles and Liakonis made it 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Helen Guerry at No. 2 singles.
Baylor tied the match 3-3 when Sloan Proffitt beat Carroll 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3 singles and Claudia Finlay beat Kareena Thornton 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4 singles.
That left all eyes on the Lauren Murphy-Donovan match for almost the entire third set.
“I felt pretty good about it,” Lauren Murphy said. “The first set was close. I felt good that she looked tired and everything and I felt good about the second set, and I felt good about the third set too.”
Liakonis, Carroll and Marianna Hurley are Catholic’s three seniors.
“Oh my gosh, it’s the best feeling,” said Liakonis, a Samford signee. “We won three years in a row and I knew it was going to be the toughest year this year. To get a four-peat, it couldn’t be any better. I love this team more than anything. We just all fought so hard to the end. I just love them all. I’m going to miss them all next year.”
Morris had a prideful afternoon.
“It was so big for someone other than our top three to come through and win a clutch match like that,” he said, “and for Lauren Murphy to do it on that stage, she hasn’t won a big match like that all year, and to do it right there is incredible, and the fight and resilience after losing the first set and coming back and doing that.
“Of all the wins I’ve had here at state, it was just the greatest win by a comeback. It wasn’t really a comeback, but it felt like a comeback.”
With the weight of the fourth championship in a row on her shoulders, soph Lauren Murphy brings it home pic.twitter.com/RpdoKS4uWY
— Knoxville Catholic Tennis (@kchs_tennis) May 22, 2024