GIRLS TENNIS FINISHES AS STATE RUNNER UP

Girls Tennis finishes as state runner up

Photo Credit: Staff

Vestavia Hills girls tennis coach Shelley Sumner found herself rooting for a player not on her roster during the final match of the Class 7A state championships today in Decatur.

Sumner needed Huntsville's Ashley Coots to beat Mountain Brook's Sarah Cooper in the No. 2 singles final in order for the Rebels to win a state title outright. A Cooper win would have meant that the Spartans and Vestavia Hills needed a tiebreaker involving singles and doubles play.

Coots prevailed 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 and the Rebels came away with the blue map trophy by edging Mountain Brook 42-40 at Point Mallard Park. Defending state champion Huntsville was third with 29 points.

Sumner watched nervously as the Coots-Cooper match progressed, then leaped with joy at match point and ran to her players for a group hug.

"It was as intense as (watching) my players," said Sumner, who is in her first season coaching tennis. "Because Mountain Brook is right next to us. We are always head-to-head. So, inside, you're pulling against a team that sometimes you might pull for. It was hard, but I wanted my girls to win. And if we had to go into that tiebreaker, we had tired girls and it would have been so hard. We were pumped we didn't have to."

Vestavia Hills won its 11th state title and first since claiming the 6A crown in 2013. Mountain Brook had won championships in three of the previous five seasons entering the tournament.

"I can't even explain it. It's the best feeling ever," Sumner said. "These girls have worked so hard. From Day 1, this is what our goal was.

"When we got here, we got a draw that we really didn't like. But we took it, we made it and now we're the state champs."

Mountain Brook freshman Margaret Polk defeated Fairhope's Caroline Adams 6-1, 6-0 for the No. 1 singles title.

"It feels good," Polk said. "I had a tough match yesterday (6-3, 7-6 over Vetavia's Haley Harmon), but pulled it out."
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