Freshman Eileen Carney competed at the IHSA state girls tennis tournament this past weekend. It was no surprise that Eileen qualified because the Carney family is very well known in the Joliet Township tennis program. Jack Carney won sectionals all four years and placed top 18 in the state tournament while he attended West. Senior, Tom Carney, won sectionals his freshman and junior year but lost to his brother in the championship sectional game his sophomore year. Tom also placed top 40 at the state tournament his junior year. A friend of the Carney family, Max Ahern said, “I expected Eileen to win sectionals just like her older brothers did before her so I was not surprised to hear that she was going to state. It’s good to see the family keep their own legacy going.” Carney kept the tradition of her family by winning sectionals and qualifying for state. She finished the tournament with three wins and two losses.

In the first round Carney easily defeated Danielle Sokol in two sets. Upsetting the 20th seed, Callaghan Adams in long hard battle, Carney lost the first set but won the last two to take a victory. After moving on to the third round, Tiffany Chen won the first two sets to beat Carney and put her in the consolation bracket. Carney later faced Caitlyn Schaffer and won in the first two sets to move onto the fifth round in consolation. Unfortunately, Carney lost in two sets to Taylor Arends, taking her out of the tournament.

Despite the fact that Carney was a freshman, she proved she was capable of being a threat throughout the state tournament. After the tournament Carney kept a positive mind and stated, “I played out of my mind. It was truly great to keep the Carney tradition alive. I hope to do even better next year.” Ending the season on a good note was easy for Carney but her tennis season never seems to end; as she will continue to work hard to improve her game throughout her off season.