Jessika Mozia of Colorado Academy and Erin Gebes of D’Evelyn are close friends who often train together, and the momentum of their fun-but-fierce rivalry tends to shift frequently. Yet in high school play, Mozia clearly has Gebes’ number.
Mozia outlasted Gebes in a thrilling finale of the No. 1 singles draw Saturday at the Mullen Invitational, posting a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 10-5 victory in a rematch of last year’s Class 4A No. 1 singles state championship match.
Cherry Creek swept all four doubles finals and won the team title, outscoring runner-up Fairview 63-47.
“I’m always friends off the court, but on the court I’m always going to go out and do my best,” said Mozia, who may play Gebes again at an invitational at Colorado Academy in two weeks before another possible showdown in the state tournament.
“It’s tough playing a friend, because you do want to keep everything in and you don’t want to call anything out. At least that’s how I am when I’m playing friends. In the tiebreaker, I had to remember that I’m here to play for myself and my team and take it one point at a time.”
Gebes rallied to win the second set and battled Mozia into a 5-5 tie during the third set tiebreaker before the defending Class 4A state champion secured the victory with five consecutive points.
Mozia’s Colorado Academy teammate, freshman Mira Ruder-Hook, captured the No. 2 singles title. Regis Jesuit’s Kate Carroll took the top honors at No. 3 singles.
Cherry Creek’s sweep of the doubles events was led by the top tandem of Sam Henry and Lindsey Pond, who defeated Cheyenne Mountain’s Frances Adams and Katie Boe 6-2, 6-4.
“I’m really happy because the competition here is like a prestate tournament,” Cherry Creek coach Chris Jacob said. “The girls worked really hard preparing and they had really close matches all the way through. It’s good, but we want to keep improving.”
MULLEN INVITATIONAL
Team scores — Cherry Creek 63, Fairview 47, Cheyenne Mountain 35, Regis Jesuit 35, Colorado Academy 31, Fossil Ridge 17, D’Evelyn 16, Holy Family 12, Steamboat Springs 10, Mullen 8, St. Mary’s Academy 6.
No. 1 singles — Mozia, Colorado Academy, def. Gebes, D’Evelyn, 6-4, 4-6, 10-5. No. 2 singles — Ruder-Hook, Colorado Academy, def. Li, Fairview, 6-2, 6-4. No. 3 singles — Carroll, Regis Jesuit, def. Sullivan, Cheyenne Mountain, 6-4, 6-4. No. 1 doubles — Henry-Pond, Cherry Creek, def. Adams-Boe, Cheyenne Mountain, 6-2, 6-4. No. 2 doubles — Cohen- Bernstein, Cherry Creek, def. Hogan-Thayer, Fairview, 6-0, 6-7, 10-4. No. 3 doubles — Berlinger-Golynko, Cherry Creek, def. Martin- Young, Fairview, 6-2, 7-5. No. 4 doubles — Broyhill-Scharmann, Cherry Creek, def. Fossil Ridge, 6-1, 6-4.
