MUNCY — Watch a random point from any of the five matches of the District 4 girls tennis team semifinal between Hughesville and Danville on Tuesday at Muncy and you were likely to see a highly-competitive point with both teams going toe-to-toe with each other.

But it was the Ironmen that were able to consistently win the big points and take the semifinal, 3-0, in a match that both coaches acknowledged was much closer than the scores of the respective matches.

The win advances Danville to the District 4 final on Thursday at a site to be determined against Loyalsock, 3-1 winners over Bucktail.

Hughesville coach Craig Weaver also thought that the matches were closer than the final scores. 

“I was thinking that as we were playing tonight. And what made it even more true is their head coach came over and said, ‘Those scores aren’t any indication of the competitiveness of the matches,'” Weaver said. “The girls have nothing to feel bad about. Danville is a good team, and I was pleased with our effort. They move on, we don’t, but, oh well. Back to the drawing board and we will work and get better.”

Danville got the first point of the evening when Danville’s Alexa Priesz beat Talia Saka, 6-0, 6-0.

At first singles, Hughesville’s Georgia Randall had the unenviable task of taking this year’s District 4 singles champion Josie Bendle. Randall was able to get into plenty of rallies with Bendle, but Bendle’s fantastic forehand was able to control the court en route to a 6-1 6-0 win. 

Danville clinched the match at first doubles. Hughesville’s pairing of Gracie Budman and Caroline Hicks were able to get early leads in both sets. But a strong Danville pairing of Elysa Spahr and Sanah Bhanushali that came in with only one loss on the season was able to weather the storm in both sets to clinch the overall match and a spot in Thursday’s finals with a 6-3, 6-2 win. 

At second singles, Hughesville’s Rebecca Roberts trailed Danville’s Gyovanna Sundaresan, 2-6, 2-5 before being pulled. At second doubles, Carly Jones and Shelby Martin had a 2-1 second-set lead after having lost the first set to Ellen Pena and Siayh Bhanushali prior to being pulled. 
Hughesville’s focus will now turn to the District 4 doubles tournament which begins this Saturday at Williamsport High School at 9 a.m.

“With the teams I’m pairing together, I feel very good about the doubles. We ended up 16-3 this year as a team, and they accomplished more than maybe we thought they would,” Weaver said. “Now with the doubles teams we’re going to have, we’re going have two competitive doubles teams out there, and I feel very good about that.”

Danville 3, Hughesville 0

SINGLES

1. Josie Bendle (D) def. Georgia Randall, 6-1 6-0; 2. Gyovanna Sundareson (D) led Rebecca Roberts 6-2 5-2 (pulled); 3. Alexa Priesz (D) def. Talia Saka, 6-0 6-0 

DOUBLES

1. Elyse Spahr/Sanah Bhanushali (D) def. Gracie Budman/Caroline Hicks, 6-3 6-2; 2. Ellen Pena/Siayh Bhanushali (D) led Carly Sones/Shelby Myers 7-5 1-2 (pulled).