Prep girls tennis: Barron Collier too much for Naples in 3A-14 meet

NAPLES - Class 3A-District 14 girls tournament

At Vineyards Country Club

Team results

1. Barron Collier 20, 2. Naples 15, 3. Palmetto Ridge 5, 4. East Lee 2, 5. Gulf Coast 0

Doubles finals

1. Maynetto/Etten (BC) d. Kallenberg/Shumake (N) 6-4, 6-2; 2. Belsinger/Dowling (BC) d. Mearsheimer/Regala (N) 6-0, 6-0.


Singles finals

1. Kallenberg (N) d. Maynetto (BC) 7-5, 6-2; 2. S. Etten (BC) d. Shumake (N) 6-2, 6-2; 3. Belsinger (BC) d. Graziani (N) 6-0, 6-0; 4. Dowling (BC) d. Gould (N) 6-0, 6-2; 5. Wyman (BC) d. Mearsheimer (N) 6-4, 6-3

Despite a spirited effort from underdog Naples High, the Barron Collier girls tennis team won the Class 3A-District 14 championship Thursday by sweeping the doubles titles.

Naples' team of Nikki Kallenberg and Kendall Shumake, who won the doubles title at the individual state tournament last year, led Barron Collier in the first set of No. 1 doubles Thursday at Vineyards Country Club. The Cougars' Natalia Maynetto and Shannon Etten came back to win in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

The results of the doubles finals turned out to be insignificant. Barron Collier already had secured its third straight district championship after the doubles semifinals. The Cougars won with 20 team points, while Naples finished second with 15. Both move on to Tuesday's regional semifinals.

"We just had to stay focused," senior captain Grace Dowling said. "To win districts again is impressive. It's really nice to end (high school) on a good note."

Dowling and freshman Hannah Belsinger had dominant tournaments, losing just two games between them and winning all their matches in straight sets. The two took the No. 2 doubles crown by winning 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals and finals.

Belsinger won both her No. 3 singles matches 6-0, 6-0, while Dowling won the No. 4 singles title 6-0, 6-2. The singles finals were played Wednesday at the Vineyards.

"I was just out here to have fun, nothing more than that," said Belsinger, who played at Community School last year. "This was an accomplishment. We're definitely proud."

One of two seniors on the team, Dowling continued her career success at the district tournament. She won the No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles titles last year and was No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles champ as a sophomore.

Barron Collier lost just one match during the two-day tournament. Kallenberg, a sophomore, beat Maynetto at No. 1 singles to win her second straight district singles title for Naples. Kallenberg advances to the individual state tournament, where she won the title last year before losing in the overall singles state championship match against the team singles winner.

"I'm really proud of our team for trying so hard," Kallenberg said. "Last year we didn't come close to beating Barron, but this year we did our best. I was happy."

Barron Collier, which has won two straight regional titles, hosts Riverdale on Tuesday while Naples plays at Fort Myers.

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