GameTimePA.com 2014 YAIAA girls' tennis all-stars
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Player of the Year
Usha Baublitz, Susquehannock, sr.: Baublitz defeated Northeastern's Laura Zielinski to win the YAIAA Class AAA championship, keeping the crown on Susquehannock turf for the third straight season. Baublitz advanced to the second round of the District 3 Class AAA to Exeter Township's Sammi Snyder. She finished the season 21-1.
To say the Warriors senior was dominant in her high school career would be a huge understatement. She did not lose a regular season match throughout her entire high school career. And it was not until this season that she dropped her first regular-season set of her high school career, which came in an early-season victory against Lower Dauphin's Jordan Schaefer.
Despite falling in the second round of districts, Baublitz was proud of how her season went.
"Obviously I had hoped to go further in districts," Baublitz said. "But it is a huge feeling of satisfaction knowing that I played my best match of the year as my last game. She just happened to be better that day."
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Head coach Marianne Michels said she knew Baublitz had the potential to win the YAIAA title and make a deep playoff run but said the senior's win against Schaefer propelled her season.
"She was very nervous in that match, and after dropping the second set, I just told her to go find the little girl who started playing tennis and fell in love with it," Michels said.
Baublitz responded by winning the third set, 6-2, to win the match.
She is undecided as to whether she will play tennis in college.
All-star spotlight Q&A with Susquehannock's Usha Baublitz
First-team singles all-stars
Sarah Koury
Rachel Fabrick
Evan Boone
Angela Friedrich
Laura Zielinski
Jenna Glass
Alyssa Miller
Christie Friedrich
Sarah Koury, York Catholic, sr.: Koury finished the YAIAA regular season undefeated in singles play. All of her victories were in straight sets, and she helped lead the Irish to a perfect 10-0 regular season record. Koury won the YAIAA Class AA singles championship by defeating teammate Catherine Vizzard, and she was a two-time District 3 Class AA singles qualifier
Laura Zielinski, Northeastern, jr.: Zielinski lost only one match during a dominant regular season, falling to Baublitz, who also beat her in the YAIAA Class AAA championship match. As the No. 3 seed, she earned a trip to the finals after upsetting No. 2 seed Jessica Babcock from York Country Day. Zielinski earned a trip to districts, where she fell in the opening round.
Rachel Fabrick, South Western, sr.: Fabrick capped a successful campaign at South Western with her second fourth-place finish in as many years in the YAIAA tournament. The senior was the Mustangs' No. 1 singles player for the second year in a row. She ends her career 14th on South Western's career wins list with 47 victories.
Jenna Glass, Biglerville, sr.: Glass had a stellar senior campaign for the Canners. She cruised through the regular season and entered the YAIAA tournament as the No. 2 seed. She saw her season end in the league quarterfinals with a loss to Vizzard, who made it to the finals.
First-team doubles all-stars
Evan Boone, jr., and Alyssa Miller, jr., Kennard-Dale: In the duo's first season playing doubles together, they won the YAIAA Class AA title and earned a trip to states thanks to a second-place finish at the District 3 tournament. In the district semifinals, they upset the No. 3 seed Alexis Welker and Lianne Lapitan, 6-4, 6-4. Their success was made even more impressive considering that Boone missed the entire 2013 season while studying abroad in Argentina.
Angela Friedrich, jr., and Christie Friedrich, so., Dallastown: The sisters capped their undefeated regular season with some hardware, beating South Western's Rachel Fabrick and Maddie Bortner in the YAIAA Class AAA finals to win their first championship. They also served as their team's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players. The sisters won their first match at the District 3 tournament before falling in the quarterfinals to Julia and Rachel Sternberg from Central Dauphin.
Coach of the Year
Jennifer Abbott, Kennard-Dale: The Rams head coach said she entered the season with a feeling that this could be a special year. Seven of her 11 players were seniors, and her top five all had previous experience as top singles players. The result was an 11-2 regular-season finish and a doubles team that made it to states.
"I was really hopeful coming into the season," Abbott said. "I said I was hoping for us to go to districts, and we did that."
Jennifer Abbott
Abbott attributed back-to-back 4-3 wins against South Western and New Oxford with making the Rams believe in their potential.
"Those two wins were close and came down to doubles for the deciding factor, and the fact that they pulled it out and really brought their game to get those close wins. We referred to both several times throughout the season."
Honorable mention
Central York: Maddie Mummert. Delone Catholic: Alyssa Neudecker. Gettysburg: Quan Quan Nguyen. New Oxford: Dagney Markle. York Catholic: Catherine Vizzard. York Country Day: Jessica Babcock. York Suburban: Jessica Clancy.
-- Mike Rubin