(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mackenzie Turley, Davis High, reacts after after winning the match point, as she defeated Daniella Aaron, Lone Peak, in the 6A High School tennis championship game. Friday, October 6, 2017.
And the legacy continues.
Although her opponent may have had an edge in experience, one Davis High sophomore entered the Class 6A No. 1 singles finale with high expectations and the skills to match.
And little sister took the state championship in classic Turley fashion.
Just like older sister Whitney and older sister Breezy before her, Kenzie started on the path of multiple No. 1 singles state crowns herself Friday by beating Lone Peak’s Daniella Aaron 6-1, 6-3 in the state title match.
The Turley family is now on a five-year winning streak with Breezy winning the 5A titles in 2013 and 2014, while Whitney followed with 5A crowns in 2015 and 2016.
They all were there at Liberty Park, including eldest sister Lexi, who Kenzie said served as her coach on this day.
“It was fun. I was kind of nervous because it was my first time at first singles, but I was just excited to have my sisters there supporting me,” Kenzie Turley said. “It was way-fun to have one coach me and the rest watch me. It was a cool experience.”
Turley, who ousted Herriman’s Megan Swapp in a semifinal earlier in the day, started strong by dominating Aaron in the first set. It was the second year in a row for Aaron getting to the No. 1 singles final. She faced Whitney Turley last year.
And Aaron, a junior, looked to make things difficult for the new Turley as she twice broke serve early in the second set and had a 3-2 lead.
But Kenzie Turley then held serve to even the games at 3-3 and reclaimed momentum by breaking Aaron’s serve.
Turley’s repertoire of side to side shots, mixed frequently with lobs and occasional drops, was designed to give herself a chance to put a point away with a winner.
“When it came down to it, it was the mental game that came in — who was mentally tougher — in this kind of situation, with all these crazy people here and all these fans cheering,” Turley said.
Aaron, who beat Jessica Rimmasch in the semis, said that she and Kenzie Turley had split their six previous matches and Aaron felt her own game was “really average” in the championship.
“We’re pretty evenly matched,” Aaron said. “I wasn’t playing percentage. I just wasn’t playing very smart.”
“Daniella is her worst critic,” Lone Peak coach Roger Baumgartner said. “She expects perfection, and she played awesome this whole season.”
Lone Peak hardly had any complaints as the Knights unseated Davis as the team champions.
Lone Peak swept the other title matches, with Anna Aaron taking No. 2 singles and Rachel Neeleman winning No. 3 singles. The Knights’ pairs of Katie King and Cami Gricius (No. 1 doubles) as well as Joslin Seaberg and Zoie Black (No. 2 doubles) rounded out the parade of Lone Peak champions.
Team scores • 1. Lone Peak 28; 2. Davis 20; t-3. American Fork 6; t-3. Layton 6; t-3. Riverton 6; 6. Pleasant Grove 5; 7. Hillcrest 4; t-8. Bingham 3; t-8. Herriman 3; t-10. Clearfield 2; t-10. Fremont 2; t-10. Northridge 2; t-13. Kearns 1; t-13. Taylorsville 1; t-13. Weber 1.
State title matches
No. 1 singles • Kenzie Turley, Davis, def. Daniella Aaron, Lone Peak, 6-1, 6-3.
No. 2 singles • Anna Aaron, Lone Peak, def. Abbie Dana, Davis, 6-0, 6-2.
No. 3 singles • Rachel Neeleman, Lone Peak, def. Whitney Stratton, Layton, 6-0, 6-0.
No. 1 doubles • Katie King-Cami Gricius, Lone Peak, def. Lauryn Geddes-Josie Henderson, Davis, 6-0, 7-5.
No. 2 doubles • Joslin Seaberg-Zoie Black, Lone Peak, def. Sarah Major-Autumn Eaton, Davis, 6-3, 6-4.