(Lexis Hughes’18 returns a serve. (Inji Kang’18/Media)

On Wednesday, October 11, the girls tennis team towered over the Wellington Cougars in a 4-0 win to clinch its spot in the State Final Four as the Central District Champions. The game was meant to be played to decision, but the second singles and doubles game ended at the same time, allowing the match to be extended to four courts.

A particularly bright spot came from star freshman Sydni Ratliff, who took down her opponent, 6-0, 6-0, proving herself as one of the best players in the Mid-State League.

The team held an intra-squad tournament on Thursday, October 12, to assess which individuals and duos would be participating in the state tournament.

Ratliff won out against her fellow singles competitors, while Georgia Tuckerman’18 and Himaja Reddy’19 qualified for doubles. The Vikings are looking to win their first individual state tournament since 2012, when Hannah Wexner’13 and Andrea Ballinger’14 took home the title.

The individual tournament will be held on Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

The Vikes will take on the winner of the Northwest district at Reynoldsburg on October 22.