In a major upset at the Greater Zion Cup in Utah, Lacy Schneemann and Meghan Dizon stunned the second-seeded pairing of Jorja Johnson and Tyra Hurricane Black on March 27. Lacy and Meghan won the three-game contest 11-4, 6-11, 11-6 to reach the semifinals.
The fifth-seeded duo will face the fourth-seeded pairing of Parris Todd and Kate Fahey in the semifinal on Saturday, with a spot in the final at stake at the PPA Tour event.
Lacy and Meghan, who had earlier bagged a bronze medal at the PPA Indoor Nationals in Minnesota in January, held their nerve after more than an hour on court in front of a near-capacity crowd before savouring a memorable win.
What stood out most was their ability to adapt under pressure. Facing relentless attacks from Johnson and Black, Lacy and Meghan had to adjust their approach mid-match. Both sides probed for weaknesses and tried to dictate the tempo, with Lacy and Meghan managing to triumph.
Schneemann later shed light on the challenge of countering Johnson and Black’s aerial dominance.
“I think in women’s doubles the trend is generally to hit pretty aggressive dinks and move the ball around to get good looks, but [Johnson and Black] are so effective out of the air that you’ve got to take a lot off your dinks,” she explained. “You have to switch to a lot of dead dinking to make sure you get the ball short in the kitchen so that they can’t take it out of the air.”
For Dizon, the win carried an added layer of emotion. Having played college tennis at Brigham Young University in Utah, competing in familiar surroundings brought a sense of comfort and motivation. The support from the stands only amplified that feeling, turning the occasion into something deeply personal.
“It’s always great [to compete in Utah]. Everybody’s always cheering all of us Utah players on. My family gets to come out to the west coast tournaments, so I’m happy to have them here. I’m stoked to get a great win today,” she said.