HIGHLAND PARK 7, KENNEDY 0
For the second time this week I made my way down to Highland Park. For the second time this week the Scots broomed the visitor. No fooling. Monday it was Central, today it was a non-conference match up with Kennedy. HP held Kennedy to single digits in singles five times and three times in doubles. The Scots doubles “out margined” (if that is a word) their singles cohorts 11 to 10.333. Kennedy was able to get one set win, and that came at third singles in the first set with Chau getting a two point squeeker win over Nahomi Aregawi. Aregawi returned the favor in the second set by the very same score and then secured the victory with a convincing 21-11 third set. There was one more 21-19 set and that came at second doubles. Abby Putz and Julia Yang then put the clamps on Yalis and Peyton in the second set holding the Eagles to only four points.
This marks the third straight sweep this week.
HP is now 3-5 on the year. Kennedy is still searching for their first victory after four matches.
I now have 17 of the 32 teams charted (53.125%). I have five weeks to knock off the remaining 15.
SINGLES
1 Nica Johnson, HP def Abi 21-3, 21-7
2 Birtukuan Aregawi, HP def Ella 21-10, 21-7
3 Nahomi Aregawi, HP def Chau 21-19, 19-21, 21-11
4 Charlotte Bistodeau, HP def Nalivia 21-8, 21-8
DOUBLES
1 Alice Verbrugge / Violet Solem Valentine, HP def Sumeya / Faiza 21-8, 21-8
2 Abby Putz / Julia Yang, HP def Yalis / Peyton 21-19, 21-4
3 Natalia Gercheva / Justina Than, HP def Evelyn / Betsabe 21-11, 21-10
BY THE NUMBERS
SINGLES
Matches: Highland Park 4-0 1.000
Games: Highland Park 8-1 .889
points: Highland Park 187-94 .665
Set 1 points: Highland Park 84-40 .677
Set 2 points: Highland Park 82-43 .656
Set 3 points: Highland Park 21-11 .656
decided by 10+: Highland Park 7-0 1.000
decided by 3-: tied 1-1 .500
margin: Highland Park 10.333
DOUBLES
Matches: Highland Park 3-0 1.000
Games: Highland Park 6-0 1.000
points: Highland Park 126-60 .677
Set 1 points: Highland Park 63-38 .624
Set 2 points: Highland Park 63-22 .741
decided by 10+: Highland Park 5-0 1.000
decided by 3-: Highland Park 1-0 1.000
margin: Highland Park 11.000
FIRST SINGLES
Nica JOHNSON 2, ABI 0
(reported & charted 21-3, 21-7)
Nica Johnson made quick work with her match with Abi finishing in just over ten minutes and thirty seconds. Johnson controlled the side out game, had massive runs, and dominated winners and errors. She also ruled in the speed game (two strokes or less) with a .852 percentage in that category.
But the match didn’t start off that way. Abi scored the first point as Johnson had a two-stroke hitting error that went wide. After that an avalanche of points landed for Johnson. She rang up 14 unanswered points including five straight aces, four of which were short and leaving Abi flat footed. Johnson had another six-point run. Abi was able to hold off set point with a smash attempt that landed in the net for Johnson, but a missed serve deep finished the set.
There were only five services in the first set. The second set had more badminton give and take at first. Johnson had a run on her second service, but it was only 8-6 after Johnson’s fifth service. Then the dam broke again and a dozen points later it was 20-6. Again, Abi held off match point, but another missed serve finished the day.
All of Abi’s winners came in the second set. Johnson took advantage of birds left hanging for five smash points. Abi suffered through a dozen net errors, eleven of which were on soft drive attempts that did not have enough oomph to get over the net. (a call back from Tuesday’s charting).
Johnson evens her record at 4-4 on the year. Abi is also even on the year at 2-2.
| Category | JOHNSON | ABI |
| Side out | 7/9-.778 | 2/8-.250 |
| Longest side out string | 4 (across 2 sets) | 1 |
| 3+ Runs | 4 | 0 |
| Longest point string | 14 | 2 |
| SERVING | ||
| First serve | 2 | 1 |
| First point | 2 | 1 |
| Service points | 33 | 2 |
| Serving % | 39/41-.951 | 6/11-.545 |
| Point generated off serve | .786 | .200 |
| POINTS | 42 | 10 |
| Points after 11 | 20 | 3 |
| Points after own errors | 5 | 7 |
| Winners after own errors | 0 | 4 |
| STROKES | 120 | 28 |
| Strokes per point | 2.857 | 2.800 |
| 5+ rallies (%) | 5 | 1 |
| 2- rallies (%) | 23 | 4 |
| WINNERS | 18 | 4 |
| Aces | 5 | 0 |
| Blocks | 1 | 0 |
| Clears | 3 | 1 |
| Drives | 1 | 2 |
| Drops | 1 | 0 |
| Soft drives | 2 | 1 |
| Smashes | 5 | 0 |
| Even Stroke Winners | 2 | 3 |
| 2nd Stroke Winners | 2 | 1 |
| Odd Stroke Winners | 16 | 1 |
| ERRORS | 6 | 24 |
| Deep | 1 | 1 |
| Net | 2 | 12 |
| Wide | 1 | 6 |
| Serve | 2 | 5 |
| Even stroke errors | 1 | 15 |
| 2nd stroke errors | 1 | 11 |
| Odd stroke errors | 5 | 9 |
| WINNER LOCATION | ||
| Left | 7 | 0 |
| Right | 11 | 4 |
| Largest Lead | 18, 14 | 1, 0 |
| W:E Ratio | 3.000 | 0.167 |
| Margin | 16.000 | |
| Set Point % | 2/4-.500 | |
| Time | 10:30.66 |