HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TENNIS: Averill Park girls tennis falls to Queensbury in Class A semifinals

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. — The Averill Park girls varsity tennis team’s postseason run came to an end with a 6-1 loss to top-seeded Queensbury in the Section 2 Class A semifinals.

The fourth-seeded Golden Knights picked up their lone victory at fifth singles, where Lana Valachovic defeated Samantha Smead in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5.

Averill Park also pushed both doubles matches to three sets, but the defending sectional champion Spartans prevailed in each to secure their fourth consecutive trip to the championship round.

At first doubles, Averill Park’s Lily Chambers and Olivia Aiossa captured the opening set, 6-4, against Juliette Demers and Ludovica Bassi before the Queensbury duo rallied to win the next two sets, 6-2, 6-2.

The Warriors’ second doubles tandem of Olivia Gamache and Annabelle Pelov also battled through a three-set match against Lydia Beecher and Jyllian Hoskins-Pfeiffer. After dropping the opening set, 6-2, Gamache and Pelov responded with a 6-1 victory in the second before falling in a tightly contested deciding set, 7-5.

In singles action, Averill Park’s Stella Marcy fell to Nicole Greenstein, 6-0, 6-1, at the No. 1 position. Gianna Scott dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to Kate Trowbridge at second singles, while Celeste Schwarz-Eise fell to Breck Allen, 6-4, 6-1, at third singles. Anastazia Valachovic suffered a 6-2, 6-0 loss to Grace O’Keeffe at fourth singles.

Queensbury improved to 13-3 with the victory, which also marked head coach Doug Fraser’s 300th combined win leading the school’s boys and girls varsity tennis programs. Fraser has recorded 163 of those victories with the girls team.

The Spartans, who captured their first Class A sectional championship last fall, advanced to the Section 2 final for the 21st time in program history.

Queensbury will face third-seeded Columbia in the championship match at 2 p.m. Saturday at Saratoga Springs High School. Columbia earned its spot in the final with a 4-3 semifinal victory over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.