Franklin has matched last year’s success. Now it’s looking to take it another step forward.
“It’s good we’re going to be able to do it twice in a row; that’s really cool especially since we never made it to the state semifinals until last year,” senior Chelsie Rayl said. “We have a really hard-working team.”
Sixth-ranked Franklin topped No. 23 Fort Wayne Carroll 4-1 Friday in the state quarterfinals at Center Grove.
“I feel like everyone really dialed in every match so far,” Franklin senior Rylie Wilkison said. “I’m really proud.”
The Grizzly Cubs (27-0) will face No. 2 Fishers (18-0) in Saturday’s 10 a.m. semifinals at North Central. Fishers advanced by edging No. 16 Westfield at Center Grove, 3-2.
At No. 1 singles, Wilkison was down a service break in the first set before rallying to defeat Jana Beier 7-6 (10-6), 6-3.
‘I realized I had to step up my game and be more consistent to be able to win points because she is a really good player,” Wilkison said. “I tried to focus on every point. The second set I just had to dial in and play better than the first set.”
Wilkison had suffered her first loss of the season against Columbus North in the semistate.
“She’s pretty resilient,” Grizzly Cubs coach Rusty Hughes said of Wilkison. “She did a good job.”
Sophomore Marnie Moore didn’t lose a game in her victory over Carroll’s Kenna Shoup at No. 2 singles.
“I was excited to be here,” she said. “I just tried to focus on mentally playing well today, I think that’s why that happened.”
Rayl dropped just one game in each set against Megan McMillen at No. 3 singles. Rayl, who is now 25-0, got the deciding third point shortly after Franklin’s No. 2 doubles team put the team up 2-0.
“It was nice not to have all the pressure,” Rayl said.
Rayl dropped the first game of the match but then cruised. She was up 5-0 in the second set when she dropped another game.
“But I didn’t let it bother me,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about this girl, so I was making sure nothing got in my head.”
At No. 2 doubles, Franklin junior Meleah Murphy and senior Emma Sappenfield improved to 23-0 by beating Julianne Ounsombath and Bianca Yaney 6-1, 6-2.
Carroll’s No. 1 doubles team of Chloe Ceresa and Riley Glassley defeated junior Kate Pinnick and senior Kennedy Urban 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
Hughes said the team played well at every spot.
“We got beat at No. 1 doubles but that team is unbeaten in the state tournament and No. 1 in their district,” he said. “They were very quick.”
Moore said remaining focused on each match has been crucial to returning to the semis.
“No one has been looking ahead of each match,” said Moore, who improved to 23-1. “Now that we’re here, we don’t have any expectations on ourselves. We’re just doing the best we can.”
