Staff report
Salisbury’s doubles teams of Hannah Lebowitz-Kirstin Meyerhoeffer and Shea Comadoll-Joy Loeblein will square off once again, and this time a state championship is at stake.
Lebowitz-Meyerhoeffer (19-1) and Comadoll-Loeblein (20-2) won three matches apiece Friday to advance to today’s 2A title match, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. It will be held either on the outdoor courts at the Cary Tennis Center or indoors at N.C. State.
Lebowitz-Meyerhoeffer claimed straight-set victories against Comadoll-Loeblein in the final of the CCC and Midwest Regional tournaments. A tiebreaker decided the second set in each case.
“I’m absolutely thrilled, and I know the girls are,” Salisbury coach Chris Myers said in a telephone interview. “We tinkered early on with our doubles teams trying to get the right players together, and it looks like it’s paid off. It’s a huge reward to see all of them playing again for the state title.”
In 1995 and 1996, doubles teams from Salisbury also faced each other in the state final. Elizabeth Wurster-Jamie Graham beat Katie Webb-Natalie Leonard both times.
Lebowitz-Meyerhoeffer reached the final with victories against Brevard’s Kate Treacy-Lauren Fuller (6-0, 6-1), Tarboro’s Nellie Wilson-Bailey Proctor (6-3, 6-0) and Northwood’s Catherine Shachtman-Katie Watkins (6-0, 6-1).
Comadoll-Loeblein moved on with wins against North Henderson’s Sydney Lyda-Julia Wallace (6-1, 6-1), Greene Central’s Samantha Taylor-Abby Sugg (6-1, 6-2) and Greene Central’s Elizabeth McLawhorn-Lauren Carraway (1-6, 7-5, 6-3).
Comadoll-Loeblein broke serve for the first time late in the second set against McLawhorn and Carraway, the top two players for a program that defeated Salisbury in the 2007 dual-team final. The third set was tied at 3-all before Comadoll-Loeblein pulled away.
“That first set was not pretty,” Myers said. “They looked shell-shocked, and Greene Central played well. We were playing back on our heels, looking scared, not making them hit any balls.
“At the break we talked about calming down, hitting shots, making them play. Their demeanor changed 180 degrees. They started smiling and having fun.”
Salisbury’s Brooke Johnson participated in the singles portion of the state championships and pushed West Regional champion Amie Cloer of West Henderson to three sets before falling 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Johnson (20-7) led 4-1 in the first set and was one point away from going ahead 5-2. She bounced back to claim the second set.
“She played awesome,” Myers said.