By Joshua Koch/Special Contributor
COLLEGE STATION -- As the ball flew past Dallas Hillcrest's Anne Gilliam, the sophomore watched as it touched down on the green behind the white line.
Instantly, Gilliam let out a yell of joy and relief looking toward the fans and her coach Diana Davis as she made history.
That final point went in her favor, sealing a come-from-behind three-set victory, 1-6, 6-2, 6-6 (7-5), against Austin Vandergrift's Tyler Duncum for the 5A girls singles state tennis championship on Tuesday at the Mitchell Tennis Center at Texas A&M.
Gilliam is the first girls state tennis champion from a Dallas Independent School District program since Lynn Haines accomplished the feat in 1961 playing for Dallas Hillcrest.
"Feels really good, I'm just really proud of myself that I was able to do it, because I was down so much in that match," Gilliam said. "Just feels really good to get the win."
"We're so excited, she's awesome, I don't even know what else to say," Davis added.
In the opening set of the match, Davis said Gilliam was experiencing some jitters.
Down 5-1, a weather delay was called as rain started making the courts slippery and unsafe for the players. Play restarted an hour later.
Gilliam dropped the first set 6-1, but the sophomore fought back with a 6-2 win in set two to force the decisive third set.
The rain delay played a big role for Gilliam, Davis said, because it gave her a chance to step back and breathe.
"Just relaxing," Davis said. "Getting the jitters out. This is a big meet for her, she's played in a lot of big tournaments but this is different. This is a different level. She's not only playing for her, she's playing for the school and the state. This is a big title for her."
In the third set, Duncum jumped all over Gilliam getting out to an eventual 5-1 lead. Staving off multiple match points, Gilliam chipped away a game at a time.
Duncum watched as her once four-game lead dwindled and disappeared as Gilliam won five-straight games, taking a 6-5 lead.
"She never gave up," Davis said. "She fought tooth and nail all the way through. She refused to lose."
The Austin Vandergrift senior wasn't done as Duncum battled back to win another game to force a tiebreaker. Once there, Gilliam and Duncum traded points for a while, until Gilliam was up 6-5.
After a few returns, Duncum's shot went long, ending the match and making Gilliam the new 5A champion.
"It was nerve-racking playing, but I kept my composure and I just kept playing," Gilliam said.
This could just be the beginning for Gilliam, who still has two more years to claim state championships.
"Feels good being so young in high school," Gilliam said. "I'm a sophomore and I hope I get the chance to do it again my junior and senior year."