During the 2A tennis tournament at Liberty Park on Saturday, St. Joseph sophomore Joanna Matyjasik calmly picked up her bag, took a sip of water and left the court without saying a word.

Between sets, Matyjasik nodded quietly as she took a few quick instructions from her coach before she methodically made her way back to the No.1 singles title match for the second year in a row.

After all, following an emotional loss to Rowland Hall's Blake Harries in her freshman year, she wasn't about to let feelings get in the way this time around.

It wasn't until Matyjasik finally secured the prize in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Rowland Hall freshman Madeline Foley that she finally let a smile creep from her lips.

"I just tried to play composed," she said. "I know how [Madeline] must feel right now. I never wanted to feel that way again."

But she may have found a worthy opponent in Foley.

In contrast to Matyjasik's stoicism, Foley wore her emotions on her sleeve as she struggled to recover from a series of unexecuted opportunities.

Following the loss, however, Foley vowed to challenge Matyjasik again.

"It was a big accomplishment and I'm proud for getting here," said Foley. "But I feel like I'm capable of more. I'm excited to try again."

While Foley's appearance in the final earned four-time defending state champion Rowland Hall three points, it wasn't enough to catch up to Waterford, which placed an athlete or team in each of the day's finals.

As a result, only two points separated Rowland Hall and Waterford heading into the final match of the day. But even as the Winged Lion sophomores Sarah Mian and Christine Livsey and the Ravens freshmen Emily Love and Molly Peterson took the court for the No. 2 doubles final, neither team knew what was at stake.

Neither coach was about to let them know.

"I went back and forth on whether to tell them or not," said Waterford coach Ken Wade. "We didn't want them to be nervous."

But nerves didn't seem to be a factor as the Ravens dismantled the Lions with a series of blistering hits to earn the two-game match win and clinch Waterford's first state title since 2003.

"It was great to see both freshman finish it off for us," said Wade.

Also contributing to the Ravens title were seniors Ana Adonokakis, who battled back from a fractured wrist bone earlier this year to place third in No. 1 singles, and Kim Beck, who placed first at No. 3 singles.