SPORTS

By Adam Powell
Correspondent

The fall women’s tennis season recently concluded for prep programs across the state of North Carolina, and two programs from the local area – Carrboro and East Chapel Hill – proved to be among the state’s elite. Carrboro, fresh off its successes at the NCHSAA 4A individual championships, brought home a team state championship, while East Chapel Hill and its 6A state individual champion Samantha Benton fought all the way to the championship match in North Carolina’s 6A ranks.

CARRBORO JAGUARS

Coming off its highly-successful run in the NCHSAA 4A individual state playoffs, sending a total of four players to state championship matches and Ryan Hanes winning the individual 4A state championship, Carrboro High’s women’s tennis team had to be considered the favorite heading into the NCHSAA dual team state playoff’s final rounds.

Simply put, it was a dream season for Carrboro and head coach Jeff Arthur, as they proved to be far and away the best women’s tennis program in North Carolina’s 4A classification this fall. It was enough to earn the school’s first-ever state championship in the sport.

After earning a first round bye in the state playoffs, the Jaguars cruised past Randleman 9-0 in the second round and Washington 8-0 in the third round to move to the state quarterfinals. In that round, CHS hosted East Duplin, a tough team from near the coast. But they proved no match for Carrboro’s powerful rotation, as the Jaguars got another sweep – this one 6-0 – to move to the state semifinal round.

Taking on Salisbury in the statewide Class 4A final four, the Jaguars continued their stellar play, breezing past the Hornets 5-0 to move to the state championship match against Lake Norman Charter. In the final showdown for supremacy in North Carolina’s 4A ranks, Lake Norman Charter proved to be just another minor obstacle in Carrboro’s path, as the Jaguars won the state championship behind a dominating 5-1 performance.

The win over Lake Norman Charter completed a brilliant 25-1 season for the Jaguars, which resulted in just one loss to local rival East Chapel Hill, who made it all the way to the championship round of the state playoffs in North Carolina’s 6A ranks. In the playoffs, the Jaguars went a combined 33-1 in team scoring against its five opponents.

Carrboro’s stellar lineup included Hanes, who was perfect in doubles play during the regular season along with her state title run in the individual tournament, and Morgan Stowe, who went 13-1 in the regular season in No. 1 and No. 2 singles play, and faced off against Hanes in the 4A individual state final, becoming NCHSAA runner-up.

Hanes was the team’s No. 1 singles player throughout its postseason championship run, while Stowe was the No. 2. In the state championship match, Hanes breezed past Lake Norman Charter’s top player, Luci falls, in a 6-1, 6-4 triumph. Hanes would go on to be named the dual team tournament championship Most Valuable Player.

Stowe got the Jaguars one step closer to the state title in the No. 2 singles match, as she defeated Eleina Moon 6-3, 6-2. Lake Norman Charter got what proved to be its only victory – and the only loss Carrboro took the entire postseason – in the No. 3 single match, with Kate Champion earning the win. But the Jaguars secured the state title with its strong No. 4 through No. 6 rotation.

In the No. 4 match, Eva Noar knocked off Silvy Schild 6-1, 6-3, which put the Jaguars a single point away from the championship. The title would come with Bailey Birrenkott’s 6-2, 6-3 win over Claire Dillon in the No. 5 match, and Claire O’Brien’s 6-0, 6-0 sweep of Evie Niemeyer in the No. 6 match. No doubles matches would be necessary, as the Jaguars had a 5-1 victory and the 4A crown.

EAST CHAPEL HILL WILDCATS

Like Carrboro, East Chapel Hill went into the 2025 women’s tennis season with state championship aspirations. And like the Jaguars, the Wildcats ran their way completely through the East Region of the state playoffs – in East Chapel Hill’s case, the Class 6A bracket.

Behind the stellar play of No. 1 singles player Samantha Benton, No. 2 Iris Mu, No. 3 M.J. Esther, No. 4 Nora Lucas, and No. 5 Isabell Lattanzio, East Chapel Hill’s run to the East Regional championship didn’t seem too tough, as they shut out Jacksonville 5-0 in the opening night, Harnett Central 5-0 in the second round, and Union Pines 5-0 in the state quarterfinal round.

In the state semis, Jon Noyes’ squad finally took some individual losses, but as a team, they moved past Fayetteville’s Terry Sanford High 5-2 to earn a berth in the NCHSAA 6A state championship match against Charlotte Catholic.

Sadly for East Chapel Hill, they came up on the wrong end of a 5-2 final score, which relegated them to state runner-up. But they gave Charlotte Catholic quite a battle in an epic state championship showdown.

In the No. 1 singles match, Benton faced off against Charlotte Catholic’s Ella Davis. Benton, who won the NCHSAA 6A individual state championship earlier this fall, found herself in quite a battle with Davis, who squeaked out a 7-5 victory in the opening set. The second set was even closer, as the two players played to a 6-6 tie. It would have to come down to a tiebreaker to see if Benton could extend to a third set.

The fateful showdown came down to a 6-6 tie. It was literally hanging in the balance, but Davis got two clutch points to hand Benson a devastating 7-6 loss in the second set. It was a tough end to Benson’s stellar career at East Chapel Hill.

Charlotte Catholic made the decision to put senior Carla Perezgrovas, who reached the semifinal round of the NCHSAA Class 6A individual tournament, in the No. 2 singles spot against East Chapel Hill’s Irus Mu, and Perezgrovas earned the victory to give Charlotte Catholic a 2-0 lead.

The Cougars inched closer to the state title in the No. 3 singles match, as Madison McWilliams defeated ECHHS’s Esther. But the Wildcats came rallying back in the No. 4 and No. 5 singles matches, as Lucas defeated Avery Johnson in a real battle, and Lattanzio bested Anna Groccia.

In the No. 4 battle, Lucas fell in the first set in heartbreaking fashion. After playing Johnson to a 6-6 in the first set, she came up just short, 4-7, in the tiebreaker. But the Wildcats tenth grader collected herself and dominated Johnson 6-2 in the second set. It would come down to a third set tiebreaker, and it was one to remember, as the players battled down 18 points with the score tied 9-9.

With the match – and the season – on the line, Lucas kept up East Chapel Hill’s hope, as she pulled out back-to-back points to claim the tiebreaker 11-9 to get the Wildcats on the scoreboard. Lattanzio’s 7-5, 6-4 victory over Groccia pulled the Wildcats within 3-2, putting the state championship in the hands of the No. 6 singles match, and the doubles play.

Junior April Zhang gave it her all in the No. 6 singles battle with Cougars senior Ariana Valenta, but in another match that was pushed to a third set tiebreaker, Zhang just missed winning. Valenta outplayed Zhang 6-4 in the first set, but then Zhang got inspired and totally dominated Valenta for a set, claiming the second set 6-1. In yet another third set tiebreaker, Valenta seized the initiative and went on to a 10-6 victory.

Charlotte Catholic clinched the state championship behind its doubles tandem of Perezgrovas and Johnson, who defeated Esther and Mu to give the Cougars a 5-2 triumph.

Despite the heartbreaking loss in the state final, optimism – and momentum – is running high at East Chapel Hill. Benson is the only departing senior from the East Chapel Hill rotation, and while it will be nearly impossible to replace the reigning NCHSAA 6A state individual champion, the returning team members are excited for the challenge of trying to get back to the state finals in 2026. 

Adam Powell has been a correspondent for The Local Reporter since 2023. A 2001 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Powell has served as managing editor of multiple local publications, including the News of Orange County, the Mebane Enterprise, the Caswell Messenger, and the ACC Sports Journal. Powell has won more than 20 North Carolina Press Association Awards throughout his journalism career for Excellence in Education Reporting, Excellence in Sports Columns and Features, and Excellence in Video Production. He has also been recognized by the North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) for Excellence in Education Writing and for his newsletters representing Rockingham County Schools and the North Carolina Cyber Academy. The author of four books. Adam currently resides in Mebane with his wife Julie and children Colt and Jenna. This reporter can be reached at:Information@TheLocal Reporter.press