MHS doubles team advances to state tennis tourney
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ATHENS -- Jaida Perez and Theda Tofoute are heading to the state tennis tournament.
The Tiger duo captured the Southeast District Tennis Tournament doubles championship over the week and will compete on Thursday, Oct. 15, in Cincinnati for the state tourney.
Perez and Tofoute are the first MHS tennis players to advance to state since Max Navarro-Steffen made the boys tournament in 2024. The last time a Marietta girl made it to state was in 2022 when the duo of Olivia Emery and Reagan Estes won a district doubles title.
Perez and Tofoute defeated the Portsmouth pairing of Ava Kirby and Sky Mays 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.
The semifinals were an all-Marietta showdown as Perez and Tofoute defeated teammates Audrey Goeller and Maya Diki 6-4, 6-2. Goeller and Diki had taken down Ironton's Jenna Compliment and Libby Preston 6-2, 6-3 in the first round.
More Tigers awaited in the finals as the Waverly duo of Mya Osborne and Elle Shepherd also were looking to clinch a state tournament berth. Perez and Tofoute prevailed 6-2, 6-3 to come out on top.
Marietta head coach Chris Mayer also saw his No. 1 singles player, Olivia Vessels, advance to the district finals. She bested Minford's Addison Slusher 6-1, 6-0 in the first round and Washington Court House's Cambry Brown 6-2, 6-2 in the semis.
In the championship match, Vessels fell to Waverly's Claire Morrison 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.
Fellow Tiger Soren Soderlund made the singles semifinals after beating Wheelersburg's Claire Kaltenback, but fell to Morrison 6-0, 6-3 in the semis.
Morrison was 3 for 3 against Marietta players on the day as she defeated Lily Marshall 6-1, 6-0 in the first round.
Southeast District Tennis Tournament
At Athens
1st round
Olivia Vessels (Marietta) def. Addison Slusher (Minford) 6-1,6-0
Soren Soderlund (Marietta) def. Claire Kaltenback (Wheelersburg) 6-4,6-4
Claire Morrison (Waverly) def. Lily Marshall (Marietta) 6-1,6-0
Jaida Perez/Theda Tofoute (Marietta) def. Kirby/Mays (Portsmouth) 6-3,6-3
Audrey Goeller/Maya Diki (Marietta) def. Compliment/Preston (Ironton) 6-2,6-3
Semifinals
Olivia Vessels (Marietta) def. Cambry Brown (Washington Court House) 6-2,6-2
Claire Morrison (Waverly) def. Soren Soderlund (Marietta) 6-0,6-3
Perez/Tofoute (Marietta) def. Goeller/Diki (Marietta) 6-4,6-2
Finals
Claire Morrison (Waverly) def. Olivia Vessels (Marietta) 7-6,2-6,6-1
Perez/Tofoute (Marietta) def. Osborne/Shepherd (Waverly) 6-2,6-3
Up next: Jaida Perez and Theda Tofoute qualify for the OHSAA state tennis tournament, which will take place Oct. 15 in Cincinnati.