ALTON — Alton High School narrowly defeated Father McGivney to capture the title at the Andy Simpson Doubles Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2025, held at Alton High School.
The Redbirds finished with 42 points, edging out Father McGivney’s 40 points in a competitive field of twelve teams. Highland placed third with 38 points.
The tournament featured strong performances across multiple doubles flights, with both Alton and Father McGivney producing champions in two flights and securing third-place finishes in other categories. Alton’s decisive edge came from a fifth-place finish by their top doubles team, which outpaced Father McGivney’s seventh-place result in the number four team category.
Alton coach Jesse Macias emphasized the importance of team depth in securing the championship. “You need depth to win this tournament, and Jersey had it, Jacksonville had it, Highland had it, and so did Father McGivney and us,” Macias said. “The only difference was we went 4-0 in our final matches. It was a crazy final round. We played Highland in every last match, I don’t know how. If they won all the matches, they would have won the tourney. If we split, it would have been a three-way tie for first with us, Highland and McGivney. But, our ladies had an incredible finals round. What a great day.”
Despite a quarterfinal loss in a tiebreaker, Alton’s top doubles team of Arlie Hartmann and Grace Massey rebounded by defeating teams from Quincy Notre Dame and Highland to secure fifth place. Macias praised their resilience and maturity, noting similar qualities in the number two team of Anna Larson and Lydia Schrumpf. After a semifinal loss to Jersey, Larson and Schrumpf came back to claim third place, demonstrating strong teamwork as a relatively new pairing.
The standout performances came from Alton’s number three and number four doubles teams. Juniors McKenna Dondaville and Caroline Cannon won the number three doubles final against Highland, while Stella Matthews and Genna Roark secured victory in the number four doubles flight.
Macias credited their chemistry and consistency as key factors. “Our three and four teams were rock stars today. McKenna and Caroline have really good chemistry and they showed it. They never get down on each other and they play the big points well,” he said. “Number four doubles can be the Wild West. Athletic teams can do well, but like in other flights consistency will help you win. Genna and Stella dominated because they don’t make a lot of mistakes and when they get a ball to put away, they do that.”
Additional contributions came from Lyla Cowan and Laila Kiger, who finished ninth in the number four doubles flight for Alton.
The Andy Simpson Sportsmanship Award was presented to Kennedi Taylor and Natalie Beck, while Highland received the Team Sportsmanship Award.
“Congrats to all the players, fans, and coaches on outstanding sportsmanship,” Macias added. “We had great weather and a lot of Paydays, and I know Andy was looking down cheering everyone on.”
Final team standings at the Andy Simpson Doubles Invitational were: Alton 42, Father McGivney 40, Highland 38, Jerseyville 37, Jacksonville 33, Quincy Notre Dame 27, Mascoutah 26, Collinsville 21, Civic Memorial 17, Rochester 12, Greenville 11, and Roxana 4.
