LAFAYETTE COUNTY’S WILLIAMS COMES INTO SINGLES TENNIS SEMIFINALS | KMMO

Lafayette County’s Elena Williams is just two wins away from a state title in Springfield.

Williams won both of her competitions on Thursday, Oct. 24, at the MSHSAA Class One State Tennis Singles Tournament at the Cooper Tennis Complex and advanced to the semifinals Friday morning. The Husker lost the first set to Monett’s Elizabeth Smith 5-7, but got back on track and won the next two sets convincingly 6-1 and 10-3. Williams then won 6-1, 6-0 against Aubrielle Krigbaum of Hannibal.

Williams will face Carl Junction’s Naiyah Werdenman on Friday, while Columbia Independent’s Zaylee Rose will challenge Clayton’s Julia Cramer in the other semifinal. The semifinals begin at 8 a.m., with the championship games expected to begin around 11:30 a.m.

Lafayette County doubles pair Madison Cunningham and Emma Gillilan went 1-2 on Thursday, missing out on a chance at a podium finish. The two fell 6-1 and 6-1 in their opening match to Riley Zimmerman and Ellie Cohn of Clayton, but won their first consolation match in three sets over Katherine Lumsden and Lillian McKay of St. Louis Notre Dame. Clayton duo Violet Villa and Vivian Cissna ended the Huskers’ state campaign with a three-set score of 7-6, 5-7, 10-2.