Girl's Tennis | 11/20/2024 4:05:00 PM

Cayce, SC – Consider it Mission Accomplished!
 
The Oceanside Collegiate Academy Girls' Tennis team entered the 2024 season with the goal of capturing their fourth consecutive SCHSL state title. On Saturday afternoon at the Cayce Tennis Center, the Landsharks completed their goal, defeating Christ Church Episcopal 4-3 to win the SCHSL Class AAA championship.
 
"I knew going into this match it was going to be a tough and very competitive match," OCA coach Shawn Harris said. "Christ Church has a very talented team and has won multiple state championships. That being said, we were prepared and ready for this battle."
 
As ready as they were, the Landsharks were on the brink after falling in the No. 2 doubles match as well as in the No. 3 and No. 5 singles matches to fall behind 3-0.
 
Senior captain Kate Johnson got things going for Oceanside with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Caroline Bruner at the No. 1 singles spot.
 
"The championship match with my team was lots of fun," Johnson said. "We had really good energy and that is what got us the win. It was a great way to end my four years at OCA."
 
Izzie Johnson followed by closing out her match at the No. 2 singles spot with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Layla Shaw. That left the No. 4 singles match between sophomore Fallon Higgans and Christ Church's senior Ella Williams to force the No. 1 doubles match.
 
"This was a lot of pressure on Fallon, and she played her heart out," Harris said. "She lost the first set on a tiebreaker, but came back to tie the match, winning the second set 6-2. It all came down to a 10-point third set tiebreaker to give us a chance at the state championship."
 
Higgans delivered in that third set, winning 11-9 to put the ball back into the hands of Kate and Izzie Johnson at No. 1 doubles, and they got the job done, winning 7-5, 6-3 to clinch a fourth consecutive state title.
 
"I felt the pressure toward the end when I knew I was the deciding match," Higgans said. "The first set was long and hard because we had different game styles, and it was hard to get rallies going. In the second set I was able to find a second wind and realized that she was more tired than me. Towards the end of the second set and at the beginning of the third my teammates were really loud.
 
"We all tried to cheer each other on throughout the match to keep out momentum going. It was really fun and a state championship to remember."
 
Higgans was selected as the MVP of the match for her hard-fought victory to force the final doubles match.
 
"This team fought all day, with the match lasting more than five hours," Harris said. "I'm so proud of this team. Like they did all season, they played hard and with a purpose."
 
Overall Match Results
No. 1 singles – Kate Johnson (OCA) defeated Caroline Bruner (CC) 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 singles – Izzie Johnson (OCA) defeated Layla Shah (CC) 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 singles – Lexie Sobocinski (CC) defeated Gianna Cannonie (OCA) 7-5, 6-3
No. 4 singles – Fallon Higgans (OCA) defeated Ella Williams (CC) 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 11-9
No. 5 singles – Linda Rogers (CC) defeated Sophia Sebold (OCA) 6-1, 6-1
No. 1 doubles – Kate Johnson/Izzie Johnson (OCA) defeated Caroline Bruner/Layla Shah 7-5, 6-3
No. 2 doubles – Rowan MacClenahan/Saddler Fox (CC) defeated Adi Levy/Elloree Besta (OCA) 6-2, 6-3
  Following the completion of the team tournament, OCA's Kate Johnson entered the SCHSL state singles tournament for players in Classes A-AA-AAA, which started on Monday and concluded yesterday. Johnson went into the tournament as the No. 2 overall seed in the 36-player field.
 
Johnson opened the tournament with straight set victories over Hannah Cobb from Hampton County (6-0, 6-0), Elizabeth Dailey from Clinton (6-2, 6-0) and Mya Tease from Greer Middle College (6-1, 6-1) to advance to Tuesday's semifinal match. There she squared off against the tournament's No. 3 seed, Caroline Bruner, from Christ Church Episcopal, who she had just defeated head-to-head in the team championship match on Saturday.
 
"The singles state tournament was good this year," Johnson said. "I didn't have any of my teammates there with me and that was disappointing, but I had my coach, my mom and a few other friends from other schools to fill the space.
 
"I played pretty well and I am happy with how it turned out. I am glad I could make it that far again for my senior year and it was definitely a good way to end it."
 
Johnson dispatched Bruner with ease (6-0, 6-0) to move into the championship match against the state's No. 1 ranked player, Katie Godfree from Atlantic Collegiate Academy. Godfree, who had lost just one game during her season, defeated Johnson to capture her second straight individual state title.
 
About Oceanside Collegiate Academy: Oceanside Collegiate Academy (OCA), located in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while earning up to two years of college credit. OCA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades Learn more about OCA by visiting our website at OceansideCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channel.