By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

All eyes were on Nixa senior Hannah Schiman and Republic freshman Elaina Antonuk.

With all other matches concluded, their marathon No. 2 singles match was now in a winner-take-all scenario for the team district championship.

“You get a sense of like, ‘We’re losing over here. We’re winning over there,’” Schiman said. “You do the math in your head. Coach (Blansit) was honest. He said, ‘We need to win your match.’ I had a feeling it would come down to me, but it actually coming down to me was a whole different ball game.

“I just kept reminding myself, ‘This is my senior year. If I leave it all out on the court, there are no regrets.’”

Schiman pulled through, outlasting Antonuk in a great battle 6-3, 5-7 (10-8) to clinch the Class 3 District 5 girls’ team tennis championship for Nixa at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield on Thursday afternoon.

Both players took a cautious approach as the match went into a lengthy tiebreaker.

“We were having minute-long rallies. That’s a lot of pressure, but I just tried to keep in my mind that… This what I trained for. This is the climax,” Schiman said. “I just tried to take it all in and keep myself in the match. Not listen to the crowd, not listen to the other players but keep my eyes on my coach and the court.”

Coach Brock Blansit said it was fitting for Schiman, a three-year varsity player and one of just two seniors in Nixa’s top six, to win the clinching match.

“Hannah tells me every day in class, ‘I just don’t want our season to end,’” Blansit said. “They’re all excited to keep playing.”

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH

It was a true team effort for Nixa (13-2 overall), who avenged a 6-3 regular season loss to Republic. On Thursday, the Lady Eagles flipped results in No. 2 doubles (Reese Morris and June Hronek) and No .4 singles (Hronek) after losing in those spots in the regular season meeting.

“Each coach knows coming in that there are some matches you’ll probably win, some matches you’ll probably lose and then there are some 50-50s,” Blansit said. “We won those 50-50s today. We had some other girls who didn’t win today, but they played really well. We’ve been playing our best tennis this last week and a half for sure.”

Antonuk, a hard-hitting lefthander, beat Schiman in the Nixa Invitational about three weeks ago.

“There would be times I would forget she’s a lefty and give her the easiest ball, and she would just kill me,” Schiman said. “That got frustrating, but I just reminded myself to stay on the court and keep (the ball) to her backhand more.”

Nixa will travel to Kansas City on Oct. 20 to play the District 6 winner – Lee’s Summit North or Lee’s Summit – in a Class 3 sectional match. The sectional winner will advance to the team state championships Oct. 30 in Springfield.

Thursday’s outcome gives Nixa its fourth district team title in five seasons. The Lady Eagles could earn the first final four berth in program history with a win next week.

“They play a lot of tennis in the summer,” Blansit said of the key to Nixa’s success. “Every one of these girls play out here at Cooper pretty much all summer and spring. We just reap the benefits.”

Schiman is happy to have one more road trip with her teammates, which includes her former freshmen doubles partner, Reagan Watkins.

“I love these girls. I’ve played and trained with them for so long,” Schiman said. “It’s just full circle right now for me and (Reagan) to play one more time together. To be able to extend our season together, it really means a lot to me.”

Republic concludes one of the best seasons in program history at 16-2 overall. The Lady Tigers had won 14 straight matches entering Tuesday, including last week’s COC-West championship tournament.

Republic will graduate four seniors from its varsity flight.

Nixa 5, Republic 4

Singles

McKenna Kembell (Nixa) def. Claire Norris 6-0, 6-1
2. Hannah Schiman (Nixa) def. Elaina Antonuk 6-3, 5-7 (10-8)
3. Abigail Bremer (Republic) def. Reese Morris 7-5, 7-5
4. June Hronek (Nixa) def. Marlee Vasquez 6-1, 6-2
5. Aubree Tinsley (Republic) def. Megan Windbacher 6-2, 6-1
6. Leighton Riffe (Republic) def. Reagan Watkins 6-1, 6-3

Doubles

McKenna Kembell/Hannah Schiman (Nixa) def. Claire Norris/Abigail Bremer 8-4
2. Reese Morris/June Hronek (Nixa) def. Elaina Antonuk/Marlee Vasquez 8-4
3. Aubree Tinsley/Leighton Riff (Republic) def. Megan Windbacher/Reagan Watkins 8-4