Kate Donathan knew she had won her match.
What the Lansdale Catholic senior didn’t know was that she had also won a team championship.
That news arrived with her teammates, who rushed onto the court to celebrate a victory that had been considerably more nerve-racking for those watching than for the player deciding it.
“I didn’t know when I was playing that my match was the decider for the winner,” said Donathan. “Probably for the best.”
With the team score tied at 2-2, Donathan’s 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Cardinal O’Hara’s Marielle Farrell at first singles delivered a 3-2 triumph in the Philadelphia Catholic League girls’ tennis championship Oct. 8 at Legacy Tennis Center. The top-seeded Crusaders captured their second consecutive league crown and third in five seasons.
For Donathan, the realization added another layer to what she agreed was the most important match she had ever played.
“I just tried to stay focused on my goal and execute,” said Donathan, “and it made the victory even better once I found out how close the match was.”
Getting there required her to work through the frustration of a match that began with a dominant first set before becoming a much tougher assignment.
After Donathan won the opener without surrendering a game, Farrell responded with a 6-2 victory in the second set. The championship would come down to a third set between two players who had each shown they could take control.
Donathan needed a fresh start.
“I had such a strong first set and then I was getting very frustrated in the second,” said Donathan. “Going into the third I tried to just reset myself and focus on one point at a time.”
Winning the first game of the deciding set helped restore her confidence. Although she became concerned when Farrell drew even during the set, Donathan kept returning to her strategy.
Meanwhile, junior teammate Izzy Saxon had already taken care of her own assignment.
Playing third singles, Saxon defeated Abigail Lain, 6-1, 6-2. Her match ended shortly after Lansdale Catholic’s first doubles team of Dani Foret and Grace Donathan – Kate’s sophomore sister – completed a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Paris Price and Ella Eusito on the neighboring court.
Those two straight-set victories supplied essential points. They also left Saxon with an opportunity to watch the tense finish.
“When I got off, Kate was going into her third set, said Saxon. “Everyone was nervous because her match was so close.”
Saxon had approached her own match with a measure of comfort. Lansdale Catholic had faced O’Hara previously, and familiarity helped her settle into the championship setting.
Her opponent’s demeanor helped, too.
“My opponent was very nice so it was easy to settle in,” said Saxon. “I felt pretty confident about my win about halfway through my first set.”
Saxon had contributed to the previous championship as well, winning at first doubles. This time, she helped the Crusaders repeat from a singles position.
O’Hara, the tournament’s third seed, made certain the defending champions would have to earn it. Natalie Repino defeated Gianna Petrarca, 6-4, 7-5, at second singles, and the Lions added a 6-4, 6-2 victory at second doubles.
That left Donathan and Farrell to settle everything.
Even the final game refused to end quickly. It returned to deuce several times, and Donathan lost two match-point opportunities before another chance arrived.
She resisted the temptation to force the finish.
“On the last point I was trying to stay consistent,” said Donathan. “It ended with me hitting it cross court, and she couldn’t get it back over the net.”
The Crusaders had reached the final by defeating fourth-seeded Archbishop Carroll, 5-0, in the semifinals.
O’Hara advanced with a 4-1 victory over second-seeded Nazareth Academy.
Next for Lansdale Catholic is the District 12 Class 2A championship, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Oct. 20 at Legacy Tennis Center.
First, though, came a celebration — and an explanation for the senior whose final shot had made it possible.
“After I won, I shook my opponent’s hand and then the whole team ran out on the court and surrounded me cheering,” said Donathan, “and they told me I won it for us.”
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Contact John Knebels by email at jknebels@gmail.com, on ‘X’ @johnknebels, or Instagram @johnknebels.
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