PARKERSBURG -Seeds are just a number, and it's something that doesn't cause major concern for Parkersburg South tennis player Joe Holland.
At Thursday's Class AAA, Region IV tournament played at Erickson All-Sports Facility, the senior pulled off an upset at No. 1 singles and qualified for the state tournament after defeating Nitro's Shane Demsey, 8-4.
The quarterfinal matchup marked the first meeting this season between the unseeded Holland and the third-seeded Demsey.
Article Photos
Photos by Jeff Baughan
At No. 3 singles, Parkersburg’s Monika Keiser begins her serve during Thursday's opening day of the West Virginia Class AAA regional tennis tournament at the Erickson All-Sports Facility. Keiser defeated Ripley’s Tyler Barickman, 8-0, in the quarterfinals.
"My serve was on," Holland explained. "He was a lefty and my serve was going to his backhand, and that helped a lot."
All singles matches were played out to the semifinal round, and that meant a pair of Parkersburg players advanced to state. At No. 1 singles in the boys bracket, fourth-seeded Matt Gnegy gave himself an early birthday present on the even of turning 18 years old after cruising past Winfield's Heath Dietz 8-1 in the quarterfinal round.
Gnegy's next test is scheduled for today against top-seeded Hunter Tubert of Huntington, who was unbeaten at 14-0 when the draw sheets were determined.
Fact Box
Class AAA, Region IV
At Erickson All-Sports Facility
Boys
Team standings: Parkersburg and Huntington 14; Hurricane 12; Parkersburg South 8; Cabell Midland 6
No. 1 singles
First round: Josh Force (SV) d. Kyle Easter (R) 8-3
Quarterfinals: Hunter Tubert (Hurr) d. Josh Force (SV) 8-0; Matt Gnegy (PH) d. Heath Diehl (W) 8-1; Joe Holland (South) d. Shane Demsey (N) 8-4; Reid Bailey (Hurr) d. Alex Beam (CM) 8-4
No. 2 singles
First round: Baylee VanKirk (R) d. Austin Marshall (SV) 8-5
Quarterfinals: Robert Skolik (Hunt) d. Baylee VanKirk (R) 8-0; Brandon Galici (South) d. Aaron Sutton (CM) 8-3; Ashton Whiteleather (PHS) d. Nate Weese (N) 8-1; Alex Clay (Hurr) d. Trevor Oxley (W) 8-0
No. 3 singles
First round: Evan Koontz (R) d. Akila Jaun (SV) 8-2
Quarterfinals: Josh Clay (Hunt) d. Evan Koontz (Rip) 8-6; Joey Newfield (CM) d. Luke Nelson (W) 8-1; Jordan Chapman (Hurr) d. Adam Shaffer (South) 8-1; Saaman Ghodsi (PHS) d. Tanner Mann (N) 8-1
No. 4 singles
First round: Garrett Dailey (South) d. Tyler Duty (W) 8-0
Quarterfinals: Alex D'Costa (PHS) d. Garrett Dailey (South) 8-4; Garrett Volk (N) d. Sean Hayton (SV) 8-4; Noah Weber (CM) d. Logan Williams (Hurr) 8-6; Bill Wright (Hunt) d. Jared Mullins (R) 8-0
No. 1 doubles
First round: Demsey-Volk (N) d. Diehl-Oxley (W)
Quarterfinals: Tubert-Skolik (Hunt) d. Demsey-Volk (N) 8-0; Holland-Galici (South) d. Hayton-Marshall (SV) 8-0; Bailey-Clay (Hurr) d. Beam-Sutton (CM) 8-1; Gnegy-Whiteleather (PHS) d. Easter-VanKirk (R) 8-0
No. 2 doubles
First round: Reese-Mann (N) d. Nelson-Duty (W) 8-6
Quarterfinals: Wright (Hunt) d. Reese-Mann 8-2; Dailey-Tebay (PS) d. Newfield-Weber 8-3; Chapman-Williams Hurr) d. Force-Jaun (SV) 8-0; Ghodsi-D'Costa (PHS) d. Koontz-Mullins (R) 8-2
No. 3 doubles
First round: Summers-Reynolds (R) d. Jones-Welch (W) 8-4
Quarterfinals: Clay-Neighborgall (Hunt) d. Summers-Reynolds (R) 8-1; Sayer-Hatfield (Hurr) d. Haynes-Stevens (N) by default; Carder-Stone (PHS) d. Evans-Shaffer (PS) 8-5; Comer-Kuhn (CM) d. Stephens-Brown (SV) 8-0
Girls
Team standings: Huntington 14; Parkersburg 12; Hurricane 8; Cabell Midland 7; Nitro and Parkersburg South 6; Ripley 2
No. 1 singles
First round: Vivian Yao (Hurr) d. Cheyenne Farley (W) 8-6
Quarterfinals: Cassie Mercer (Hunt) d. Vivian Yao (Hurr) 8-0; Emily Munson (R) d. Meredith Hall (SV) 8-1; Sloane Prince (PHS) d. Emily Hrtyanski (N) 8-2; Gabriella Beam (CM) d. Jessie Mongilio 8-1
No. 2 singles
First round: Marissa Poultney (R) d. Jaden Hardesty (W) 8-6
Quarterfinals: Cassandra Powell (PHS) d. Marissa Poultney (R) 8-1; Maya Thomspon (CM) d. Taylor Painter (N) 8-1; Kate Huck (Hunt) d. Regan Hanlon (South) 8-1; Kayla McKnight (Hurr) d. Lora Rutherford (SV) 8-0
No. 3 singles
First round: Tyler Barickman (R) d. Anne Houck 8-4
Quarterfinals: Monika Keiser (PHS) d. Tyler Barickman (R) 8-0; Olivia Osborn (South) d. Kristen Chaffins (SV) 8-0; Natalie Dotsenko (N) d. Summer Berardi (Hurr) 8-4; Katelyn McGuffin (Hunt) d. Claudia Chapman (CM) 8-1
No. 4 singles
First round: Rachele Subik (Hunt) d. Olivia Richardson (W) 8-0
Quarterfinals: Rachele Subik (Hunt) d. Amber Kesterson (PHS) 8-4; Megan Lawrence (N) d. Samantha Smith (CM) 8-3; Regan Russell (PS) d. Michelle Greider (SV) 8-6; Stephanie Spaulding (Hurr) d. Arin Shatto (R) 8-3
No. 1 doubles
First round: Farley-Hardesty (W) d. Hrtyanski-Painter (N) 8-4
Quarterfinals: Mercer-Huck (Hunt) d. Farley-Hardesty (W) 8-1; Mongilio-Hanlon (PS) d. Munson-Frampton (R) 8-4; Yao-McKnight (Hurr) d. Greider-Hall (SV) 8-3; Prince-Keiser (PHS) d. Beam-Thompson (CM) 8-2
No. 2 doubles
First round: Chapman-Smith (CM) d. Houck-Richardson (W) 8-2
Quarterfinals: Powell-Stansberry (PHS) vs. Chapman-Smith (CM); Dotsenko-Lawrence (N) d. Chaffins-Rutherford (SV) 8-5; Berardi-Spaulding (Hurr) d. Osborn-Russell (PS) 8-2; McGuffin-Hutchinson (Hunt) d. Barickman-Shatto (R) 8-0
No. 3 doubles
First round: Cadle-Engle (N) d. Burchett-Hogland (W) 8-2
Quarterfinals: Subik-Konrad (Hunt) d. Cadle-Engle (N) 8-2; Brown-Clark (Hurr) d. Divita-Khanna (CM) 8-4; Villers-Poultney (R) d. Maynard-Boggs 8-3; Bennett-Cox (PS) vs. Ksterson-Riffle (PHS)
"I think I am the only one who has won a game against him," Gnegy said. "I just need to focus on the tennis ball and execute. Now it's just about pride and getting a good seed at state, and scoring points for the team."
On the girls side, Big Red senior Sloane Prince ousted Nitro's Emily Hrtyanski 8-2 in the quarterfinal round of No. 1 singles. The next test for the third-seeded Prince occurs against second-seed Gabriella Beam of Cabell Midland.
"I tried to do different things (against Hrtyanski) that I can use in my next match," Prince said. "I just need to stay aggressive and stay focused."
Almost as if the air was let out of the tires, Parkersburg's chance to win a girls regional tennis title took a turn for the worse when unseeded Rachele Subik of Huntington defeated top-seeded Amber Kesterson of Parkersburg 8-4 in the quarterfinal round at No. 4 singles.
Subik is the same player who the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission ruled could play in the tournament despite questions surrounding her qualifications of having played a minimum of six matches at her position against region opponents.
On the court next door to the Kesterson-Subik match, another surprise took place in the No. 4 singles bracket when unseeded Regan Russell of South rallied from a 6-5 deficit to defeat third-seed Michelle Greider of Spring Valley, 8-6.
During a regular season meeting, Greider doubled up the Patriot freshman, 8-4.
"I was more patient this time," Russell said. "The thought of my season being over also motivated me."
Minus those few exceptions, most matches went according to the book in singles. Moving into the semifinals in their respective brackets for PHS were Ashton Whiteleather (No. 2), Saaman Ghodsi (No. 3), Alex D'Costa (No. 4), Cassandra Powell (No. 2) and Monika Keiser (No. 3).
South representatives Brandon Galici (No. 2) and Olivia Osborn (No. 3) also advanced, while Ripley's Emily Munson punched her ticket for state in No. 1 singles after defeating Spring Valley's Meredith Hall, 8-1.
The tournament is scheduled to conclude today with an 8 a.m. start time at Erickson All-Sports Facility with Saturday serving as a rain date.
