The goal was simple for the Emmaus girls tennis team this season show improvement.

After a rough 2011 campaign, the young Hornets grew up, posting 11 wins, eight in league play, this year. That made Monday's Lehigh Valley Conference tournament the icing on the cake.

"We had some tough draws today and ran into some good opponents early on," head coach Kelly Musselman said. "But over the season we really couldn't be any happier. They worked really hard and they all improved so much and I really couldn't ask for much more this season."

Junior Katrina Guido, the team's second singles player, was the last Hornet standing on Monday, playing into the evening in the consolation match in her bracket.

Guido lost to Bethlehem Catholic's Kory 10-5, to place fourth and end the day for the Green Hornets.

"We expected her to get pretty far," Musselman said. "She played really well against some people that she had lost to in the regular season, so we're really proud with how she played."

Guido, seeded third, began her day with a close 8-5 win over Elizabeth McCarthy of Freedom, the sixth seed. She then ran into Northampton's Madison McCall, the second best two singles player during the regular season, and fell 10-7.

Guido's fellow singles players each exited after two matches. Top player Kelly Nguyen downed Becahi's Mara Blanchard 8-5 and then fell to Freedom's Flannery Johnston 8-6 in the next round.

At third singles, Cat Garrity dropped Dieruff's Sade Sanchez 8-0 and then lost to Freedom's Frederica Maranzana 8-5.

The good news for the Hornets is that all three singles players will be back.

"They'll all be back next year," Musselman said. "We have some awesome doubles players that are ready to fill some spots as well. There's a lot of talent there."

All three doubles teams were eliminated in one match, including two losing in tiebreakers.

The second doubles team of Ciara Bryan and Victoria Chan lost to Bronte Grigoruk and Beth DiGiacomo 8-7 with an 8-6 tiebreaker deciding the match. Kristina Phelan and Amy Yang, the second seed at third doubles, were upset by Liberty's Paige Dolci and Sarah Kuehner 8-7 (7-3).

The fourth doubles tandem of Hannah Ramsdell and Rose Zhang fell to Whitehall's Audrey Antalio and Christina Endy, 8-3.

"It really could have went both ways [in the tiebreakers]," Musselman said. "Obviously both teams have great players, but when you're playing eight-game pro sets, its really just who can pull it out."

The District 11 singles tournament begins Thursday at West End Racquet Club.