ST. LOUIS - The Helias Lady Crusaders saw their tennis season come to a close after going 1-1 in playoff action Saturday.
The Lady Crusaders started out the day with a 5-2 win against Incarnate Word Academy.
The dual match started out with singles, where Helias went 2-1. Ashley Dowden and Abby Dowden posted a 9-8 win (7-5 tiebreaker), while Liz Conley and Grace Verslues won 8-0. Megan Oliver and Catherine Conley lost 8-2.
In singles, Catherine Conley won 6-2, 6-2; Oliver won 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; and Ashley Dowden clinched the victory with a 6-3, 6-3 win. Liz Conley lost 6-3, 6-1.
At the time the match was stopped, Abby Dowden trailed 3-6, 5-4 and Verslues had just evened her match, falling 6-2 in the first set before winning the second 7-6 (7-5 tiebreaker).
Helias then fell 5-2 to MICDS in the quarterfinals to end the season.
Helias went 1-2 in doubles, getting an 8-2 win by the Dowden sisters. Oliver and Catherine Conley lost 8-5 and Liz Conley and Verslues lost 8-3.
Ashley Dowden got the team's only singles victory, winning 6-1, 6-1.
Liz Conley (6-0, 6-3), Catherine Conley (6-4, 6-0) and Verslues (6-1, 6-1) all lost their singles matches.
When the match was halted, Abby Dowden was trailing 3-6, 1-4 and Oliver was trailing 6-7 (8-10 tiebreaker), 1-1.
Helias ends the year with a dual-match record of 17-4-1.
Three members of the team will compete at the individual state meet set for Friday and Saturday in Springfield, as Ashley Dowden will compete in singles and Abby Dowden and Catherine Conley will play in doubles.