The Fairfield girls tennis team moved one step closer to the team state tournament Wednesday, September 30th, defeating Oskaloosa 5-0 in the Class 1A Region 8 semifinal to improve to 11-0 in dual matches on the season. The match was originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Fairfield Middle School outdoor courts, but due to rain and incoming weather, it was moved to 9:00 a.m. at the Grace Ananda Recreation Center — an indoor facility used by Maharishi Schools in Fairfield.
Natalie Steele opened things up at No. 1 with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jillian Parks. Ria Ross mirrored that result at No. 2, defeating Whitney Steinlage 6-2, 6-1. Sriya Yammanur was equally impressive at No. 3, taking down Hailey Montgomery 6-1, 6-1.
The match of the day came at No. 4, where Mareyn Dunkin battled through a three-set marathon against Isis Edwards — winning the first set 6-4 before struggling in the second set, dropping it 1-6. Rather than letting the difficult second set derail her, Mareyn regrouped and persevered, coming out strong in the match tiebreaker and closing it out 10-5 to deliver the fourth team point and put Fairfield one away from clinching. Kinzley Dunkin then clinched the team victory at No. 6 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Katelynn Watts, ending the match before Faeven Gebremariam’s No. 5 singles match against Emma Rowley — which Gebremariam led 6-2, 2-0 at the time — and doubles needed to be completed, as Fairfield had already reached the five wins needed.
Head coach Travis Dunkin credited the team’s focus and praised Maharishi for making indoor play possible. “It was a great day. Thankful for the MIU rec center that has indoor courts so we could play today,” Dunkin said. “The girls came in locked in and focused. Really happy with how they came out playing.” On Mareyn’s hard-fought victory, he said: “Mareyn had the marathon match today. She kept herself composed after a not so good second set. To bounce back the way she did was great.”
Dunkin acknowledged the significance of the moment given the team’s recent postseason history. “Excited to get back to this point. We’ve been here the last two years. The girls remember the feeling of losing and are focused in and ready to go.” Fairfield fell to Central DeWitt 5-4 in last year’s regional final and lost to Xavier 5-0 the season prior. Saturday marks the third consecutive year the Trojans have reached the regional final.
Fairfield advances to face Assumption in the Class 1A Region 8 final on Saturday, October 3rd at 10:00 a.m. at the Fairfield Middle School courts, with a spot in the team state tournament on the line. “Assumption is a great team so a lot of good tennis will be played,” Dunkin said.
