As anticipated, the quarterfinals match of the IHSAA Team State Finals between 8th-ranked Munster and 15th-ranked Delta came down to the No. 3 singles court.
Delta senior Stella Sieber faced Munster sophomore Berlyn Compton in a contrast of styles.
Sieber’s defensive strategy was to use her feet, scramble to save balls, keep the returns deep, and lob over her opponent when in trouble. Compton’s offensive strategy was to use her powerful serve and her quickness to set up aggressive forehands, opening up the court for winning shots. She also used her drop shot to pull Sieber into an uncomfortable position near the net.
In the end, Sieber won 6-1, 7-6 (1) to lift Delta to a 3-2 victory over Munster, earning the Eagles a berth in the Final Four.
All other courts ended quickly. Munster’s twin sisters, Priyanka and Pallavi Tallamraju, gave up only one game at No. 1 and No. 2 singles in victories over Sophie Crabtree and Olivia Marshall.
Delta was nearly as dominant in doubles. The teams of Kate Manor/Alexa Bratton and Elizabeth Bamidele/Rowan Hinds yielded a total of four games in their two victories.
The victory over Munster put Delta into the IHSAA Final Four for the fifth time in school history (three times with the girls and two times with the boys). It also likely ensured that the Eagles would finish the year in the Top 10 rankings.
In the postseason, the Eagles gained victories over No. 8 Munster, No. 10 Westfield and No. 18 Homestead and played No. 3 Carmel tough before falling 1-4 in the semifinals.
Complete Results
DELTA 3, MUNSTER 2
Singles
- Sophie Crabtree lost to Priyanka Tallamraju, 0-6, 0-6
- Olivia Marshall lost to Pallavi Tallamraju, 1-6, 0-6
- Stella Sieber def. Berlyn Compton, 6-1, 7-6 (1)
Doubles
- Kate Manor/Alexa Bratton def. Grace Nierengarten/Krisha Parikh, 6-2, 6-0
- Elizabeth Bamidele/Rowan Hinds def. Lila Labahn/Sophia Zilz, 6-1, 6-1