Lake Forest, Stevenson share North Suburban title

VERNON HILLS — Lake Forest was looking to defend its North Suburban Conference girls tennis title, but Stevenson wanted the crown.

At the end of a long Saturday at the Vernon Hills Athletic Complex — just before the rains came — both teams were even with 34 points, so each earned NSC co-champion honors.

The Patriots and Scouts swept Nos. 1 and 2 singles and doubles, with Stevenson’s team of Alexxis Kiven and Kendall Kirsch defeating Lake Forest’s Catherine Orfanos and Victoria Falk 6-1, 6-2 in the doubles finals.

“We wanted to make a good end to the conference. We went in really confident and fired up as we knew this was her (Kiven’s) final conference match,” Kirsch said of her partner, who is a senior. “We wanted to make it a really good one, and that’s what we did.

At No. 1 singles, Lake Forest’s Elizabeth Zordani outlasted Warren’s Karyna Bihel in three sets, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3. It was one of the longest matches of the day, with Zordani able to break Bihel’s serve to clinch the conference title.

“It was hard competing against her. I’m glad I got another chance to play her,” said Bihel, who lost in straight sets to Zordani earlier in the season.

Zordani’s younger sister Christina Zordani was champion at No. 2 singles. Stevenson’s duo of Kaylin Dong and Michelle Tulchinskaya were winners at No. 2 doubles.

Rounding out the top five teams were Warren (third with 26 points), Vernon Hills (15.5) and Libertyville (14).