Chelsea Tennis in Hunt for State Title After Record Setting Day

The Chelsea girls' tennis team is in the hunt for a Division 3 state title after a school record five flights qualified for Saturday's state semifinals.

Just two times in school history had anyone moved on to the state semifinals for the Bulldogs, but Friday the Bulldogs finished with 18 points to place themselves in third position with the semifinals and finals on Saturday. No Bulldog has ever reached the state championship match.

Cranbrook-Kingswood is sitting on top with 23 points and Detroit Country Day right behind with 22. These two teams have combined to win every D3 state title since 2010 with Country Day winning the last four. 

Chelsea has two semifinalists in singles and three in doubles.

Rachel Bareis entered the tournament unseeded at three-singles but pulled off a pair of dominating wins. She swept her opener 6-0, 6-0, and then pounded the second seed player from Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 6-0 and 6-1 to move to the semis.

Anne-Marie Begola is seeded second in four-singles and cruised to a pair of 6-0, 6-1 wins to reach the semifinals. 

Amelia Loveland and Adrienne DeLong rolled to 6-3, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-0 wins to move the the one-doubles semifinals where they will face the third-seed from Grand Rapids Christian.

Natalie Bareis and Kate Leissner opened three-doubles with a tough three set win 7-5. 4-6, 6-2 and then cruised past the four-seed 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals against the #1 seed from Cranbrook-Kingswood.

The top seed in four-doubles Meghan Bareis and Megan Boughton rolled to 6-0, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-2 wins to cruise into the semifinals where they will meet up with a Country Day team.

While not making the semifinals, other Bulldogs picked up key wins. 

Kendall Spink and Malina McGraw won their opener at two-doubles, but dropped the quarterfinal match in a hard fought three set battle 4-6, 7-5, 3-6.

Sierra Martinez-Kratz won her opener a two-singles before bowing out in the quarterfinals to the number-four seed. 

Amanda Dosey dropped her opening math at one-singles to a tough player from Cranbrook-Kingswood.