HIGHLAND PARK 4, HUMBOLDT 3
For the second time this week I was in St. Paul and saw a 4-3 match that had the winners sweep the doubles and take first singles. The difference this time was the team that won hosted. Home team Highland Park edged out Humboldt in a reversal from the Central win at Como Park on Monday. The deciding fourth point came at first doubles, one of two matches that went three sets. Livia & Gina Yang bounced back from a second set loss to win in the third set 21-17. The fourth singles finished after the first doubles, but by that time HP had the victory secured. Humboldt won narrow victories in the singles with three sets tipping their way decided by two points, one that went extra points at third singles. The doubles heavily favored the Scots despite the three sets at first doubles. HP had four wins at doubles by double digit points.
SINGLES
1. Neul McDonell, HP def Lay Lay 21-18, 21-4
2. Kaoyer, H def Elisa John 21-16, 21-19
3. Let Let, H def Danielle Johnson 24-22, 21-15
4. Htoo Eh Say, H def Mai Dao Thao 19-21, 21-19, 21-10
DOUBLES
1. Livia Yang/Gina Yang, HP def Htee Moo/Eh Shwee 21-11, 18-21, 21-17
2. Lila/Johanna, HP def Wah Htoo/Lareh Dohsay 21-9, 21-19
3. Phoebe Brown/Alicia, HP def Sar Htoo/Pa Lee 21-11, 21-9
BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: Humboldt 3-1 .750
Games: Humboldt 6-3 .667
points: Humboldt 170-164 .509
decided by 10+: Tied 1-1 .500
decided by 3-: Humboldt 3-2 .600
margin: Humboldt 0.67
DOUBLES
Matches: Highland Park 3-0 1.000
Games: Highland Park 6-1 .857
points: Highland Park 144-97 .598
decided by 10+: Highland Park 4-0 1.000
decided by 3-: Tied 1-1 .500
margin: Highland Park 6.71
FIRST SINGLES
Neul MC DONELL 2, lay LAY 0
(21-18, 21-4)
HP Freshman Neul McDonell put her foot on the accelerator in the second set with a sweep over Lay Lay. After a three point first set, McDonell kept her errors to two while racking up 16 winners in that set (an 8:1 margin). For the match McDonell generated 29 winners with a category high 10 smashes.
The first set featured big runs by both players. McDonell grabbed the initiative early with the first run of six, with five straight winners. McDonell mixed the six with smashes and drives with one drop. The first four winners har rallies that lasted more than five strokes. McDonell was cruising at 19-9 after her second run, this time of four points with three clears when Lay Lay got hot. She took the serve back with a ten stroke smash and kept McDonell off balance which resulted in four point on errors in the Hawks’ run of seven. It took three set points to close out the first set with a seven stroke hitting error in the net finishing the action.
McDonell held Lay Lay to just one point off serve in set two while creating points on every service. McDonell opened with the first five points. The closest Lay Lay came after that opening salvo was 7-3. McDonell took back the bird at 4-12 on a four stroke clear and then served out the match with the next nine points. In that closing run of ten McDonell came up with eight winners including two straight smashes.
| Category | MC DONELL | LAY |
| Side out | 9/13-.692 | 5/14-.357 |
| Longest side out string | 4 | 2 |
| 3+ Runs | 5 | 1 |
| Longest point string | 10 | 7 |
| SERVING | ||
| Service points | 29 | 9 |
| Serving % | .935 | .900 |
| Point generated off serve | .690 | .409 |
| POINTS | ||
| Overall points | 42 | 22 |
| Points after 11 | 20 | 13 |
| Points after own errors | 9 | 7 |
| STROKES | ||
| Strokes | 210 | 99 |
| Strokes per point | 4.88 | 4.50 |
| 5+ rallies | 21 | 8 |
| 2- rallies | 4 | 4 |
| WINNERS | 29 | 8 |
| Aces | 1 | 0 |
| Blocks | 0 | 0 |
| Clears | 9 | 3 |
| Drives | 4 | 1 |
| Drops | 5 | 0 |
| Soft drives | 0 | 2 |
| Smashes | 10 | 2 |
| ERRORS | 14 | 14 |
| Deep | 0 | 0 |
| Net | 8 | 10 |
| Wide | 4 | 3 |
| Serve | 2 | 1 |
| W:E Ratio | 2.07 | 0.57 |
| Margin | 10.00 | |
| Set Point % | 2/4-.500 | |
| Time | 14:34.69 |