On Tuesday night, girls tennis continued their dominance with a fourth straight Upper State Championship.

Bad weather forced the team to play their third-round matches and Upper State matches back to back, but the Lady Panthers were undeterred, beating Powdersville High School 5-1 and region rivals Clinton High School 6-0.

Senior Alex Kinlaw, who clinched the fourth win needed for the team to advance to the state championship, was excited about the team’s success and the fact that they continue to make school history. 

As of Nov. 3, girls tennis has gone the farthest in the playoffs of any Chapman sports team.

“I’m very happy with our team and proud to say that we have won Upper State four consecutive years,” Kinlaw said. “It (has been) an amazing experience, and I’m excited to see what will happen.”
For Kinlaw and fellow seniors Elizabeth Williams and Aria Baddorf, the Upper State championship was the last high school match they will ever play on the Chapman tennis courts. While the victory itself was fun, the emotions afterward were, according to Kinlaw, bittersweet.

“I loved the win and enjoyed playing with everyone, but it was also a very emotional match,” Kinlaw said. “I love this team very much and am happy to be a part of it.”

The Lady Panthers will face Oceanside Collegiate Academy on Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Cayce Tennis Center in Cayce. Oceanside Collegiate defeated 10-time state champions Bishop England High School who defeated Chapman at the last three state championships.

Kinlaw believes that with a new opponent this year, the team has a chance to finally capture that state championship.

“The team, as a whole, is very excited to face a new opponent at state,” Kinlaw said. “I think everyone is just focused on their own match and little things they can fix before they play Saturday.”