After winning her second straight state singles title, Naperville Central sophomore Elizabeth Lumpkin could only muster an exhausted smile when asked about the possibility of becoming the first girl to win four straight.
“That’s a really tough goal,” said Lumpkin, who defeated Lake Forest’s Alexis Prousis 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 Saturday in a championship match that took 2 hours 20 minutes. “Next year is even a long way off right now. Winning another title will be just as tough as the first two because so many great players are returning and we are all so even.”
For this particular weekend at Prospect High School, Lumpkin was a little better. She did not lose a set in her six matches leading up the final, never dropping more than three games to her opponent. Even when she lost the first set to Prousis, who was almost as dominant, Lumpkin used it to build momentum.
Prousis broke serve twice and built a 5-2 lead in the first set, only to have Lumpkin break back twice and tie the set 5-5. Prousis broke serve again and eventually won the set 7-5, but the fight in Lumpkin’s game was evident.
“She shows good composure and conducts herself well,” said Prousis of Lumpkin. “I’ve never seen her get mad during a match. It can get frustrating because she doesn’t miss much.”
It was Lumpkin who won the final two games of the second set to claim a 7-5 victory, and Prousis admitted she had nothing left in her legs or feet by the third set. After losing in the quarterfinals the last two years and missing four weeks this season with a foot injury, Prousis still would not give herself high marks for reaching the final. She was more than satisfied with Lake Forest’s team title and the Foresters’ tournament-record 48 points.
“Even if I won state, I wouldn’t have been completely satisfied individually,” said Prousis, whose team easily outdistanced Maine South (32) and West Aurora (29). “There’s always some way to improve.”
Highland Park’s top-seeded Debra Streifler and Lindsey Goldstein earned the doubles title in much shorter order, defeating Maine South’s Liz Bondi and Carol Brzozowski 6-1, 6-4. The duo did not lose a set throughout the New Trier Invitational, the Deerfield Sectional and the state tournament–their only three doubles competitions.
They hugged teammates and talked to friends on cellular phones after the victory, celebrating with the same joy and enthusiasm with which they play. Not a bad effort for a duo that also won conference titles in singles this season.
“We were working at [doubles] quietly most of the year and just picked our spots to play,” said Highland Park coach Steve Rudman. “They love tennis, respect the game and respect their opponents.”
Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa are Streifler’s final three college choices, while Goldstein returns for her senior year. Seven of the eight singles quarterfinalists also return next season, led by Lumpkin, who became the eighth girl with multiple state singles titles and will try to become the first to win three straight titles since Susy Jaeger from 1976-78.
But don’t ask Lumpkin about another title or, for that matter, turning pro. The future is a long way off at 15.
“I just want to enjoy high school tennis, go to college and hopefully play tennis there,” she said with a smile. “We will see what goes from there.”
