Portage’s Sammie Thompson looked calm, cool and collected.
More Top Picks Best Room Dividers For Studios
Inside her head, it was a whole different scenario in Friday’s sectional championship against Valparaiso.
Thompson battled back after dropping the first set to beat Valpo’s Alexis Orlich 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 at No. 2 singles and secure Portage’s first sectional title since 1987.
“It was crazy — the match was insane,” Thompson said. “Every shot I hit, I was a bundle of nerves. There were a lot of times I was down, but I had to keep trying and not give the point away.
“I was super happy when everyone rushed onto the court at the very end.”
All eyes were on No. 2 singles, which became the decisive point in Portage’s 3-2 win after the other four matches ended in straight sets.
Thompson (16-6) went through a similar situation against Michigan City earlier in the season, an experience that helped her deal with Friday’s pressure.
The Indians (19-5) were on the verge of celebration throughout the match. Orlich fended off six match points before Thompson nailed down the victory.
“I have two boys and I got married, so this is the fourth-best thing in my life so far,” Portage coach Scott Garrison said. “When it went to a third set, I knew it was in the cards.
“Sammie wins about 80 percent of the time when it goes to a third set. Her conditioning is huge.”
Garrison fulfilled his promise to his team to do a dance in celebration of the sectional title.
“This is what I’ve been working toward for three years,” he said. “This is why I came to Portage.”
In last year’s sectional semifinal, Thompson won the No. 2 singles point against Valparaiso, but didn’t get the help she needed from her teammates to pull off the win.
This time, her teammates did their jobs first, setting up Thompson for the winning point in a marathon match.
“She was the one who had to fulfill the destiny of Portage tennis,” Garrison said. “All of the girls have shirts that say, ‘believe.’ For the last three years, we’ve been talking about this day. This is a great day.”
Portage’s No. 1 doubles team of Haley Mergl and Brittney Shebish advanced with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Valparaiso’s Keeley Evans and Ema Gilliana. Mergl and Shebish improved to 22-2.
The Indians also received a victory from No. 1 singles player Emily Sajda, who topped Valpo’s Rachel Crookston 6-1, 6-4.
Sajda, a senior, advanced beyond sectionals for the first time in her high school career.
“It’s been a goal of mine, playing four years of varsity, to move on to regionals,” Sajda said. “To do it my senior year is amazing. We’ve been close in the past, but we’ve always come up short.”
Valpo’s Julie Wappel downed Emilee Eagan 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3 singles. The Vikings (10-8) picked up their other point at No. 2 doubles, as Kareem Billetter and Anna Flude beat Bella DeAnda and Julia Tucker.
“It was the match we expected, steady on both sides,” Valparaiso coach Tim Shideler said. “It could have gone either way.
More Top Picks Best Soccer Cleats
“I thought Alexis played fantastic. She played with a lot of guts, certainly in that third set. It’s disappointing to not win, but I’m proud of my girls.”
Brandon Vickrey is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.