By Kyle LoJacono
Steinbrenner freshman and No. 1 girls tennis player Grace Korta reached the Class 2A state singles tournament, knocking off Zephyrhills ace Sarah Vande Berg along the way.
“She really played well and the moment wasn’t too big for her,” said first-year Steinbrenner coach Domenic Colangelo. “She’s been our leader all year and we’re all very excited about what she did.”
Korta was given a bye through the first round and defeated Vande Berg 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-0 in the second round. She lost her next match to the top-seeded Lindsay Graff from Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest 6-1, 6-0.
“I was very happy to get as far as I did,” Korta said. “Sarah is a really good player and I was surprised to win.”
Vande Berg, a junior, had lost only one singles match all year entering the event. She was suffering from an injury to the inside of her right elbow, her dominate arm, since just before the district tournament began.
“I know she wanted to go further than she did, but it’s still a great accomplishment to make it to states,” said Zephyrhills coach Lorraine Hinkle. “The elbow wasn’t hurting her as bad as it was during districts and she’s planning on going to another tournament this weekend, so she’s feeling a lot better.”
Vande Berg reached the state tournament in 2010, but did not win a match individually. She took down Alex Barrett from Naples Lely 6-1, 6-1 in her opening match.
“My goal was to go further than I did last year and I did that,” Vande Berg said. “I wanted to go further than the second round but it’s still an honor to get to states.”
Korta teamed with senior Kaleigh Wagner in the doubles tournament and were matched against the Zephyrhills team of Vande Berg and Sydney Owens, a freshman. The Hillsborough County duo got the better of the Pasco team, winning 6-0, 6-0. The tandem was knocked out in the quarterfinals to the top-seeded team from Pine Crest 6-1, 6-1.
“It’s really amazing to have it happen in my first year,” Korta said. “It makes me just want to go out and work even harder in the summer. Kaleigh is graduating and it’ll be hard to fill her spot, but I think we’ve got something special going on with our team.”
Roller just misses title shot
Land O’ Lakes No. 1 boys tennis player Colin Roller, a junior, made it to the Class 2A state singles tournament semifinals, but came out on the wrong side of a three set match.
Roller, who lost only one singles match all year entering the event, received a bye in the first round and defeated Orlando Bishop Moore’s Mathew Plumley 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. He then took the first set from Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest’s Roy Lederman, but lost the contest 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
“It was a really good experience,” Roller said. “Last year we made states as a team, so I didn’t know what to expect. There were some really good players and I’m glad I got to play them.”
Roller paired with Harrison Luong for the state doubles competition and received a bye in the first round. The central Pasco team was defeated in the next round by the team from Orlando Bishop Moore 6-2, 6-1.
Fitz-Randolphs’ trip to states
The Fitz-Randolph tennis family connection has taken Carrollwood Day to heights never before seen for the private school.
Eric Randolph, a sophomore, is the first Patriots boys tennis player to reach the state tournament, and his younger sisters Jacque, an eighth grader, and Lauren, a sixth grader, also made program history by making the Class 1A state doubles tournament.
The sisters made it all the way to the championship match, falling to the No. 1 seeded Gainesville PK Young team of Kiah Turner and Jazz Whittaker 6-3, 6-0. The two were given a bye in the first round and knocked off the team from Shorecrest Prep 6-1, 6-2 in the second round. They then took out Jacksonville Episcopal 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the semifinals.
Eric got through his opening round match in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 against St. Augustine St. Joseph’s Ander Henning. He was unable to make it two straight, losing 6-3, 6-1 to Bradenton Christian’s Dominic Cotrone.
