Girls’ Tennis

BINGHAMTON – In the Section IV state qualifier last weekend at the Binghamton Tennis Center, three-time Class B champions, Bryn Loomis and Sophie Stewart of Norwich, fell short in their bid for a third straight appearance in the state tournament.

The duo dropped a three-setter in the decisive third-place match to end a five-star career with the Purple Tornado. The senior Norwich netters came into the tournament as the defending Section IV champions, and in defeat, brought out the opposition’s best tennis. “That’s really the best compliment you can give to our kids – when you inspire the other team to play its best,” said Norwich tennis coach John Stewart. “We were clearly one of the best four teams there, but you have to do it when it counts. That’s what we did not do.”

Norwich had control in the third set of its third-place match leading Vestal’s Ishikar and Anika Kumbhakar 2-0 and up 40-15. The Vestal duo battled back to earn the break point, and rallied for the victory. “Four out of the six positions going to states are brand-new kids, and the last two spots had to come back in the third set to win,” Stewart said. “That tells you how competitive it was, and there were not guarantees. There were four excellent doubles teams, and unfortunately, we were the fourth.”