From staff reports

Three Austin area tennis teams begin their quest for a state championship Wednesday 

Westwood, Austin LASA, and Wimberley will represent the Austin area at the University Interscholastic League team tennis state tournament Wednesday through Thursday in Waco. 

Here’s a preview of each classification. 

Class 6A

Westwood (15-0) will begin its quest to repeat as Class 6A champions at Baylor with a semifinal match against The Woodlands (16-2) scheduled for 8 a.m. 

Westwood has cruised to the state tournament, giving up just three points throughout the playoffs. In the first round, Westwood defeated Austin High 10-1 and then went on to defeat San Antonio Clark 10-0, Westlake 10-1, Laredo Alexander 10-0, and Vandegridft 10-1.

Should the Warriors defeat The Woodlands, they will play the winner of Houston Memorial (15-0) and Plano West (21-2) on Thursday at 8 a.m. at the Waco Regional Tennis Center. 

The Warriors are led by seniors Aditya Paravasthuramesh, Dana Kardonik, Leon Chen, Evie Castellani, Simryn Jacob, Dana Kardonik, Jason Xiong, and Brooke Xu. 

Class 5A 

Austin LASA is making its second consecutive appearance at the state tournament. THe Raptors (19-0) play a semifinal against Boerne Champion (17-4) at 11:30 a.m. at the Waco Regional Tennis Center. 

Austin LASA lost to Amarillo in the semifinals of last year’s tournament. Amarillo went on to win the Class 5A state title and begins its title defense against Frisco Centennial in Wednesday’s other semifinal. 

The Raptors defeated Pflugerville 10-0 in the first round, followed by wins against Montgomery Lake Creek, Georgetown, Richmond Foster, and reached the state tournament by defeating College Station 10-4 in the regional finals. 

Austin LASA is led by seniors Edwin Tan, Sanwi Sarode, Vedant Sangani, Milo Kevorkian, William Gu, Wendy Geng, and Annabel Andre. 

The Class 5A championship is scheduled for 3 p.m., Thursday at the Waco Regional Tennis Center. 

Class 4A

Wimberley (13-6) is looking to claim its second Class 4A state championship in three years. The Texans open the tournament Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Waco Regional Tennis Center against defending state champion Canyon Randall (28-4). 

Wimberley defeated 2022 Region IV champion Boerne 10-7 in the regional finals last weekend in San Antonio. The win avenged a 10-9 loss to the Greyhounds in the district tournament. 

The Texans also defeated Floresville 10-0, Needville 10-0, Fredericksburg 16-3, and Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway 10-5 in the playoffs. 

Wimberley is led by seniors Drew Vinson, Joe Sheffield, Gwen Pierce, Finn MIgnerey, Lea Martin, Ty Marko, and Ella Malone. 

The winner of Wednesday’s semifinal will play the winner of Kaufman (23-2) vs. Franklin (9-3) in the Class 5A championship is scheduled for 3 p.m., Thursday at the Waco Regional Tennis Center. 

Schedule

Class 6A

Wednesday (at Baylor University)

8 a.m. – Westwood (15-0) vs. The Woodlands (16-2) 

11:30 a.m. – Houston Memorial (15-0) vs. Plano West (21-2) 

Thursday (at Waco Regional Tennis Center) 

8 a.m. – Championship 

Class 5A

Wednesday (at Waco Regional Tennis Center)

11:30 a.m. – Austin LASA (19-0) vs. Boerne Champion (17-4)

11:30 a.m. – Frisco Centennial (21-2) vs. Amarillo (21-4)

Thursday (at Waco Regional Tennis Center) 

3 p.m. – Championship 

Class 4A

Wednesday (at Waco Regional Tennis Center)

8 a.m. – Kaufman (23-2) vs. Franklin (9-3) 

8 a.m. – Canyon Randall (28-4) vs. Wimberley (13-6)

Thursday (at Waco Regional Tennis Center) 

11:30 a.m. – Championship