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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Lily Nowak is not the type of athlete to hide her emotions on the tennis court.</p><p>When the Hazleton Area junior was down, the frustration wore on her face like the sweat dripping down her cheeks. When her shots were finding their mark, she joked and smiled along with her teammates on the other side of the fence.</p><p>So it was to no one&#8217;s surprise that Nowak celebrated just a bit too early on the penultimate point of the second set. Before the ball scooted out of bounds, she let out a &#8220;Yeah!&#8221; even before her opponent could make an attempt at it.</p><p>Nowak won a grueling three-set match in the smoldering heat to propel Hazleton Area to its first district championship match in school history. The Cougars defeated North Pocono 3-2 to advance to the District 2-4 Class 3A championship.</p><p>&#8220;Oh my God, this match was unbelievable,&#8221; Nowak said. &#8220;It was incredible. It was great to win for my teammates. I&#8217;m a junior, but the rest of my teammates are seniors, so it was nice to give them that win.&#8221;</p><p>The sheer length of the semifinal forced officials to postpone the title match to 3 p.m. Monday at Kirby Park.</p><p>For three hours and twenty minutes, Nowak battled fatigue and a patient, formidable opponent in the Trojans&#8217; Sarah Esposito. She came back to win at No. 2 singles by a score of 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-1.</p><p>&#8220;I asked for a water break three times and never got it,&#8221; Nowak said. &#8220;I hate the heat. But I just had to persevere.&#8221;</p><p>On an otherwise empty court for more than two hours after every other semifinal match was complete, Nowak dealt with her own frustrations as she fell behind. Esposito claimed the first set 7-5 and scored the first three points of the second. Nowak went ahead 5-3 on Esposito before dropping the next three points to trail 6-5.</p><p>Nowak faced elimination but managed to hit a shot that floated just over Esposito&#8217;s racket to send the set to a seven-point tiebreaker.</p><p>Nowak&#8217;s forehand was too strong for Esposito. After being frustrated by her topping her shots into the net, her returns now cleared their line and she yielded just two points.</p><p>Five seconds after Nowak sent the match to a third set, the nearby Ralston Field&#8217;s loudspeakers coincidentally played &#8220;The Circle of Life&#8221; from The Lion King &#8211; the Colonels&#8217; women&#8217;s soccer team&#8217;s pregame music signaled the resurgence of Nowak&#8217;s game. Nowak handily took care of Esposito 6-1 in the third to send her teammates into a frenzy.</p><p>&#8220;I brought it up a little bit,&#8221; Nowak said. &#8220;She&#8217;s a wall, and she kept pushing back on me. I finally figured out how to play her.&#8221;</p><p>Stephanie Mazurek (6-2, 6-1) and Sofia Losen (6-1, 6-3) each won their respective singles matches in quick form.</p><p><strong>Royals take second place</strong></p><p>Holy Redeemer returned to the District 2 Class 2A championship for the second consecutive season but fell short of a district title. Scranton Prep beat the Royals 3-0 en route to its ninth straight district crown.</p><p>The Royals defeated their long-time rivals Wyoming Seminary 3-1 in the semifinals.</p><p>&#8220;This is probably the best team I ever coached,&#8221; coach Joe Suchoski said. &#8220;They played really hard the whole time.&#8221;</p><p>Holy Redeemer&#8217;s Lauren LeMarca trailed 5-4 in the No. 2 singles but rallied back to beat Emily Urbanski in a tight 7-5, 7-5 match.</p><p>Tia Amerise ousted Shailee Desai 6-2, 6-2 for a Royals&#8217; win at No. 3 singles. Amerise won the lone Royals&#8217; set against the Classics in the final. She beat Isabel Hon 6-3 in the first before the match was halted at 1-1 in the second set.</p><p>The duo of Emily Evans and Cassie Benderavich defeated the Blue Knights&#8217; Paige Parson and Meghan Melkote 6-3, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>District 2 Team Championships </strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Class 2A semifinals </strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Holy Redeemer 3, Wyoming Seminary 1 </strong></p><p><strong>SINGLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Nicole Joanlanne (SEM) v. Camryn Cassetori 4-6, 6-2, 3-0 (halt); 2. Lauren LeMarca (HR) d. Emily Urbanski 7-5, 7-5; 3. Tia Amerise (HR) d. Shailee Desai 6-2, 6-2</p><p><strong>DOUBLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Emily Evans/Cassie Benderavich (HR) d. Paige Parson/Meghan Melkote 6-3, 6-1; 2. Becca Hammerman/Abbey Capin (SEM) d. Lindsey Hoover/Sarah Garg 6-1, 6-3</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Scranton Prep 3, Holy Cross 0 </strong></p><p><strong>SINGLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Gabriela Jakubek (SP) v. Lauren Palmiter 6-4, 3-0 (halt); 2. Cary Habeeb (SP) d. Theresa Dutter 6-1, 6-0; 3. Isabel Hon (SP) d. Caroline Cadden 6-2, 6-0</p><p><strong>DOUBLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Megan McDonald/Caroline Rinaldi (SP) d. Haley Bestricky/Aurora Monacelli 6-4, 6-0; 2. Lucia Nardelli/Madelyn Klassner (HC) v. Julia Horchos/Madison Tratthen 6-4, 5-1 (halt)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Class 2A championship</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Scranton Prep 3, Holy Redeemer 0 </strong></p><p><strong>SINGLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Jakubek (SP) d. Cassetori 6-0, 6-2; 2. Habeeb (SP) v. LeMarca 6-3, 4-2 (halt); 3. Amerise (HR) v. Hon 6-3, 1-1 (halt)</p><p><strong>DOUBLES</strong> &#8212; 1. McDonald/Rinaldi (SP) d. Evans/Benderavich 6-1, 6-1; 2. Horchos/Tratthen (SP) d. Hoover/Garg 6-1, 6-3</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Class 3A semifinals </strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Hazleton Area 3, North Pocono 2 </strong></p><p><strong>SINGLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Stephanie Mazurek (HAZ) d. Sarah Tofilska 6-2, 6-1; 2. Lily Nowak (HAZ) d. Sarah Esposito 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-1; 3. Sofia Losen (HAZ) d. Haley Zemek 6-1, 6-3</p><p><strong>DOUBLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Megan Carney/Devyn Davis (NP) d. Adrianna Bohman/Alyssa Mazurek 6-4, 6-2; 2. Tiana Mackarey/Ashley Dunn (NP) d. Sophia Sebo/Ashley Garcia 6-1, 6-0</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Abington Heights 4, Williamsport 1 </strong></p><p><strong>SINGLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Lauren Carroll (AH) d. Katie Meale 6-4, 6-4; 2. Clare DelValle (AH) d. Mia Shuler 6-2, 6-2; 3. Lauren Koczwara (AH) d. Kalindi Maggs 6-3, 6-2</p><p><strong>DOUBLES</strong> &#8212; 1. Brooke Dennison/Holly Ross (AH) d. Taylor Shipman/Shara Brennan 6-3, 6-1; 2. Madison Marchese/Desiree Aversa (WIL) d. Savannah Blaum/Julia Poulson-Houser 6-3, 6-3</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Holy Redeemer&#8217;s Camryn Cassetori returns serve from Scranton Prep&#8217;s Gabriela Jakubek in the District 2 Class 2A team finals. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_Tennis-D3-Districts-2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Holy Redeemer&#8217;s Camryn Cassetori returns serve from Scranton Prep&#8217;s Gabriela Jakubek in the District 2 Class 2A team finals. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_Tennis-D3-Districts-3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Lily Nowak outlasted North Pocono&#8217;s Sarah Esposito in a three-hour district semifinal match at No. 2 singles on Tuesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_Tennis-D3-Districts-3-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Lily Nowak outlasted North Pocono&#8217;s Sarah Esposito in a three-hour district semifinal match at No. 2 singles on Tuesday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_Tennis-D3-Districts-1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Stephanie Mazurek dispatched North Pocono&#8217;s Sarah Tofilska 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles during Tuesday&#8217;s District 2 team tennis tournaments. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_Tennis-D3-Districts-1-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Stephanie Mazurek dispatched North Pocono&#8217;s Sarah Tofilska 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles during Tuesday&#8217;s District 2 team tennis tournaments. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jay Monahan</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLsports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Marathon singles match win lifts Hazleton Area tennis to district finals