By Bill Hester, Special to the Post-Dispatch
The tears were flowing in a combination of joy and sadness Friday for St. Joseph's tennis player Ashley Behan.
Behan was beaming with joy Friday as she won the clinching match of her team's 5-0 victory over Lafayette in the Class 3 girls team tennis state championship match at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
It was the third time Behan got to celebrate a state title with her teammates. But as the hugs and photos were finished the realization hit that this was the last competitive tennis match Behan will ever play.
"It's been a great four years and it is bittersweet that it is over," Behan said. "This last match was extra special. The ending could not have been better."
It was appropriate that the two singles wins that capped off the title were by seniors Behan and Ali Kennedy, who were state doubles champions last year -- the only year of their career St. Joseph's did not win as a team -- and finished second this year.
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"There is no better way to end it than this," said Kennedy, who also is not going to play any more competitive tennis. "This is extra special."
The state title is the 19th for the Angels, the most of any team in the state. Rock Bridge is next with 13 and John Burroughs has 12.
It is also the 13th for Angels coach Doug Smith.
"It's poetic justice that Ali and Ashley finished it off," Smith said. "They were co-captains this year and actually the last two years since we had no seniors last year."
The Angels were a senior-led team this year as Libby Dunaway, Lydia Wiley and Peyton Friedman were on the roster although Friedman, who would have been a regular, tore her ACL during tryouts and missed the entire season.
But it was a freshman who may have been the key to the team's success. Adelyn Gross came to the team with a national ranking. She won the consolation championship in the individual tournament last week and shined at the team tournament. She had a 4-1 lead over Class 3 state singles champion Ava Beltran of Liberty and a 6-0, 3-1 lead over Lafayette's Mia Yin when those matches were halted.
St. Joseph's stopped Liberty's 20-match winning streak in the semifinals Friday morning with a 5-0 victory.
"The addition of Adelyn was significant, it was huge," Smith said. "It makes all the difference when you have a star like her in your lineup."
Smith said his lucky 13th state title was special.
"We had no sniff of state last year after getting clobbered by John Burroughs in the district tournament," he said. "Coming into the season I didn't know we would even be here."
The runner-up finish tied for best in school history for Lafayette, which beat North Kansas City 5-0 in the semifinals Friday morning.
The Lancers also have two third-place finishes, including one last year.
"It was another great season," Lafayette coach Emily Pestka said. "It felt good to get to the finals this year. We came up against a very good St. Joe's team. I felt we got as far as we could and I am proud of them."
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