In what felt like a never-ending match, Lake Norman did just enough to defeat Terry Sanford in the NCHSAA 3A girls tennis dual-team state championship on Saturday.
A five-hour match that was decided in a 7-3 tiebreaker doubles set left the Bulldogs with an emotional 5-4 loss.
“We’ve had an exceptional season, and (our team) fought till the last point today, so I’m super proud how hard they’ve worked all season,” Terry Sanford coach Susan Brady said.
The top seed out of the 4A West, Lake Norman advanced to 24-0 on the season and secured its first dual-team state title in the NCHSAA 3A classification.
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Entering doubles tied 3-3, Terry Sanford (18-1) felt confident in its abilities. A win at No. 1 Doubles for the Bulldogs left the team just one game short of a state title.
However, the Knights took No. 2 Doubles 10-7, leaving the state championship to the No. 3 doubles set, which Lake Norman junior Aileen Huynh and freshman Kate Champion eventually won.
The game, which was tied 10-10 before a final 7-3 tiebreaker set, lasted for nearly two hours.
“You can’t ask for anything else,” Terry Sanford assistant coach Chris Goodman said. “The girls gave it everything they had, and that’s all that you can ask for.”
Lake Norman’s Luci Falls was efficient at No. 1 singles, defeating Terry Sanford senior Annie Lieberman 6-3, 6-4. Falls also paired with teammate Lauren Ruppe to win in No. 2 Doubles.
Despite the loss, Lieberman said she couldn’t have been more proud of her team.
“This is the dream team for me, and I wouldn’t change it, and I think we should be proud of ourselves despite the loss today,” the senior said after the loss. “We all stayed strong today and fought back despite the challenges, so I think we had a great season.”
Advancing to a dual-team state championship for the first time since 1994, the Bulldogs became the first team in Terry Sanford’s history to make a 3A state title game.
While their season might have ended on a sour note, Terry Sanford had one spectacular ride in 2023.
“The team itself has just been amazing,” Brady said. “(The team) just knocked it out of the park … it was a great season.