On a traditional Sunday in Belton, church gets out at or around twelve in the afternoon, and everyone goes to their favorite meat-and-three restaurant before taking an old fashioned cat nap; a traditional staple on Southern Sundays. Yesterday, another tradition took place, as the annual Belton Invitational Tennis Tournament got underway in its semi-final matches.

For the girls’ 16 year-old singles division, it was business as usual as the top two seeds volleyed over their competition, and will meet in the finals Monday.

The first match to get underway was a battle of the lowcountry, as Hilton Head’s Molly O’Koniewski took on, and defeated, Jamie Harrell of Charleston 6-4, 6-1.

In a match full of long, competitive volleys, it quickly turned into a match of who would make the first mistake and misfire, even though O’Koniewski has said that she “likes to come to the net.”

“I like doing it [coming to the net] when I have the opportunity to. I enjoy coming to the net,” she said.

In the other semi-final match featured another Hilton Head native, Leyla Erkan, and Alexis Prickett of Columbia. Prickett would best Erkan in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

Although Prickett appeared to dominate the match, she said it was a match of “who was going to miss first.”

“I think we were both nervous and tight,” she said. “I think in the second set we loosened up a little bit.”

The near triple digit heat became the third opponent in the match, has it affected play and tested the endurance of the players. “When I first walked on to the court it was [pretty hot] but I try to not let it affect me,” said O’Koniewski.

Prickett also commented on the heat. “It was hot, but it wasn’t as bad as yesterday,” she said. “Yesterday I thought I was about to die, it was pretty bad.”

The match up Monday will be the first time O’Koniewski has played in the finals.

“This is the first time I’ve ever played in this tournament,” she said.

For Prickett, this marks a return trip to the Finals in Belton, but not since she “was about nine or ten.”

“I haven’t been in awhile. Every year I lose in the semis. I’m really excited,” said Prickett.

O’Koniewski’s strategy for tomorrow will be simple; to “play her game and have a good match.”

Prickett and O’Koniewski have met before on the netted court, the last time O’Koniewski winning a “close match” according to Prickett.

Prickett’s strategy is to learn from last time and do her best. “I played her tough in the first set and I lost a little bit in the second. She (O’Koniewski) is a great player,” she said.