McPherson Tennis Dominates AVCTL 3&4 League Tournament
All six players earn All-League honors as Bullpups capture team title with 58 points
McPherson High School's tennis team claimed the AVCTL 3&4 League championship Thursday, scoring 58 points to outdistance runner-up Buhler (43 points) and third-place Wichita Collegiate (41). Wellington finished fourth with 33 points, followed by Winfield (25), Circle (20), Augusta (19), and El Dorado (13).
The Bullpups' victory was highlighted by an exceptional team performance that saw all six players earn All-League honors in either singles or doubles competition. Quinn Liebl and Avery Unruh captured the doubles championship with a perfect 3-0 record, while Maryn Sandbo finished as singles runner-up after an impressive tournament run.
Sandbo battled through a highly competitive singles draw that featured four players who finished in the top four at last year's state tournaments. She defeated Blackman from Collegiate in an electric semifinal, 7-6(2), 6-4, before falling to Spies from Buhler in the finals, 4-6, 1-6. Dragon Rodriguez also earned All-League honors in singles, going 2-2 to claim the final qualifying spot.
In doubles action, Lleyton Kuhn and Mayson Wiens demonstrated remarkable resilience to capture third place. After dropping their semifinal to Wellington in a heartbreaking super tiebreaker 6-7(5), 6-4, 8-10, the duo bounced back to win the third-place match 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 over their opponents.
"I am extremely proud of this team today," said the McPherson coach. "These girls have been asked to be flexible all season long, and with yet another lineup change from our last tournament in Goddard, they responded in an amazing way."
The Bullpups will have just one practice day to prepare for Friday's Regional tournament, which they will host at home. With momentum from their league championship and a full roster of All-League performers, McPherson enters postseason play as one of the favorites to advance to state.
Greg Loving
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