Eva Kresovic can officially be considered back.
After missing part of the season with a back injury, Park Hill South’s super sophomore returned for the postseason, and she didn’t drop a game in a Class 2 Sectional 8 singles victory Tuesday, Oct. 3 in Kansas City, Mo. The District 15 champion earned a second straight berth in the Class 2 Missouri State Tennis Championships where she finished third as a freshman — her lone loss to a three-time state champion.
Kresovic defeated Platte County junior Hannah Valentine 6-0, 6-0, ending the season of the Pirates’ top player.
ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Park Hill South sophomore Eva Kresovic hits a serve during the Class 2 District 15 championship dual Wednesday, Sept. 27 at Park Hill South High School in Riverside, Mo.
Back in sectionals for a second straight season, Valentine again missed out on becoming the first state qualifier in program history. She was the District 16 runner-up in singles this year after advancing to sectionals as part of a doubles team her sophomore year.
Valentine led Platte County to at least a share of a sixth straight Suburban Conference Blue Division title this past season.
Park Hill South won’t have a second state entry this season after senior Abby Norris and sophomore Chloe Norris lost their sectional doubles match Tuesday. The Panthers’ sister duo came in as the District 15 runnerup and lost in straight sets to Liberty sisters Colby Kelley and Riley Kelly — the District 16 champions.
The Norris sisters went to state a year ago.
Park Hill freshman Maisie Markowitz’s standout season ended with a loss to District 16 singles champion Claire Thimgan, another freshman. Thimgan won in straight sets in the playoff match Tuesday afternoon.
Markowitz was the District 15 singles runner-up to Kresovic.
Valentine advanced out of Class 2 District 16 in singles with a run to the finals Friday, Sept. 29 in St. Joseph, Mo. to meet up with Thimgan. Valentine won a regular season matchup between the two in a dual, but Thimgan reversed the result this time, taking the district title 6-0, 6-0.
Platte County, which lost in the Class 2 District 16 team semifinals, also had Crystal Billings and Mikayla Landers — both juniors — go 2-2 in the doubles bracket. Jaycie Call, another junior, went 2-2 in singles, advancing to the second round before losing to Thimgan.
Kresovic swept her way to the Class 2 District 15 title on Saturday, Oct. 30 in Kansas City, Mo. — repeating as singles champion with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Markowitz in the final.
Abby Norris and Chloe Norris survived a tiebreaker to reach the championship of the doubles bracket for a second straight year. They trailed 5-3 in the third set and fought off three match points to comeback and earn a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over St. Teresa’s Academy’s No. 2 team in the semifinals.
St. Teresa Academy’s team of Maggie Fielder and Lauren Andriano prevailed in the final 6-3, 4-6, 6-1to reverse the result of the previous matchup from the Class 2 District 15 team championship dual.
Park Hill South (15-3) won that matchup with the Stars to advance to the playoffs for an 11th consecutive season, and the Panthers are scheduled to compete in a Class 2 sectional against Blue Springs (10-3) on Saturday, Oct. 7 in Liberty, Mo. with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal against either Lee’s Summit West or (13-4) or Liberty (15-4) later in the day.