DEARBORN — The Dearborn High girls’ tennis team returned to competitive action on Monday as they got their 2024 season underway.
The Pioneers’ first tune-up of the spring was a dual meet against local foe Dearborn Divine Child, who came in already with two contests under their belt, both of which resulted in hard one-sided losses last week.
That first victory for the visiting Falcons will have to wait for another day as the host Pioneers opened up their campaign with a convincing 7-1 victory over their crosstown foes.
PHOTO GALLERY: Girls Tennis – Dearborn Divine Child vs Dearborn High
Monday's match was the first competitive match for Dearborn since they reached the MHSAA Division 1 state championships as a team a season ago. It was the first time in five years that the Pioneers had accomplished that feat.
A host of players from last year's team return to potentially make another run to states in 2024. Among those is Suzanne Harajli, who was responsible for one of the seven flight victories on Monday vs Divine Child, all of which resulted in straight-set wins.
A doubles player last season for Dearborn, Harajli now finds herself on the singles side of the ledger. The junior in the No. 2 singles match on Monday bested her Divine Child counterpart Kate Murray (6-3, 6-3).
Dearborn also got victories in the No. 3 and No. 4 singles matches in the form of Amily Hamed and Ganna Elqayaty, respectively.
The senior Hamed, who was the Pioneers' No. 4 singles performer a season ago in the postseason, defeated Divine Child's Olivia Goodwin (6-0, 6-2). Fellow classmate Elqayaty, part of the No. 1 doubles tandem at states in 2023, bested the Falcons' Sophia Macey (6-0, 6-1).
The hosts also swept all four doubles flights on Monday vs DC. That run of wins started at No. 1 doubles, where duo Ghena Eldroubi and Fatima Farhat defeated Baylee Hughes and Kayla Keith (6-4, 6-1).
Over at No. 2 doubles, it was Dearborn's Gabriella Ali and Eva Ibrahim topping Divine Child's Ava Reace and Ania Elsey (6-2, 6-0). The No. 3 doubles match saw the Pioneers' Medina Faraj and Zahraa Salmassi best the Falcons' Erin Moore and Sophie Hughes by that same score. And in No. 4 doubles, it was Emma Mackie and Reem Harb for the hosts over Ava Cooper and Sophia Jeter for the visitors (6-3, 6-1).
Divine Child's only victory on Monday came in the form of Dema Fawaz at No. 1 singles. The senior for the Falcons played a thrilling three-set match against Dearborn opponent Donna Chamas.
Chamas will be the Pioneers' No. 1 singles player after competing at No. 3 singles at regionals and states in 2023.
As for Fawaz, she is now responsible for Divine Child's only two flight wins of the season. The senior picked up a straight-set victory when they Falcons opened up Catholic League play last week with a 7-1 loss vs Clarkston Everest Collegiate.
UP NEXT
Monday was the first of four dual meets in as many days scheduled for Dearborn (1-0), who immediately begins KLAA East competition.
The two-time defending league champion Pioneers will stay home and host Wayne Memorial on April 16 before visiting Livonia Stevenson and Livonia Franklin on Apr 17 and 18, respectively. All three meets have a scheduled 4:00p start time.
Divine Child (0-3) meanwhile will resume Catholic League Intersectional 1 Division play with a tri-meet on Apr 16. The Falcons will first face host Wixom St Catherine (1:00p) before doing battle with Warren Regina (3:00p). Those matches will be taking place at nearby Detroit Catholic Central High School.
DC will then face another CHSL foe when they host Riverview Gabriel Richard at Ford Woods Park in Dearborn on Apr 18 (4:30p).
