By Jim McGrath | jmcgrath@alextimes.com
Bishop Ireton freshman Shelby Shivers came back from three games behind twice to win the No. 3 singles crown at the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships, held Nov. 2 at St. Paul VI in Chantilly, Virginia.
In the final, Shivers, who began the season as Ireton’s No. 1 player, defeated St. John’s College High School’s Helena Ruggeri 8-5, turning around 0-3 and 1-4 deficits early in the match by winning seven of the last eight games. Ruggeri had not lost a single game in her first two tournament matches, and had defeated Shivers 8-4 twelve days earlier in the teams’ dual match.
“She was surprised by my comeback,” Shivers remarked.
Their first match had provided a learning opportunity, and it was one that had eluded the ninth grader until less than 24 hours before the final.
“I didn’t expect to make the finals or win,” Stivers continued. “I had decided to play my best and have a good mindset. But, the night before, I remembered the previous match and realized that I knew her playing style and that I knew what I had to do [to win].”
Shivers, who entered the tournament as the third seed out of nine players, won her opening match against the No. 6 seed player from Elizabeth Seton High School 8-3.
“I had beat her 8-5 earlier in the season,” Shivers said. “I hit to her backhand, which is my strength, and my serve was good that day.”
In the semifinals, Shivers faced a new opponent, No. 2 seed Reilly Lewis of St. Paul VI Catholic High School.
“It was back and forth, and I had to be mentally tough, because it could have gone either way,” Shivers said. “She was a good player.”
Shivers survived an extra game to defeat the Panther 9-7 and qualify for the title.
Along with her championship, Shivers earned First Team All-WCAC honors, the first freshman to do so for the Ireton tennis program since Ben Phelps and Dmitry Schroeder in 2024.
According to assistant coach Anna Noone, Shivers’ title marks the first time since 2012 that the Cardinals have had a No. 3 singles champ, boy or girl. It also marks the girls’ fifth individual title and twelfth overall for the tennis program since 2021.
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