PRAIRIE VILLAGE ? Long after most of the participating schools in the Sunflower League girls tennis meet packed up and went home Tuesday, Free State’s No. 2 doubles team of Ellie Ott and Brenna Spurgeon still were in a heated battle against Shawnee Mission South.

Ott and Spurgeon were down, but hardly out. They dropped the first set of their third-place match, but improbably bounced back, took the last two sets and the third-place medal. This after nearly nine hours of both physically and emotionally draining tennis at Shawnee Mission East.

Somehow, Ott and Spurgeon had a reserve tank of gas in the system. How else could you explain the toughness of a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory as the sun was going down?

“It’s incredible to come back like that after losing the first set,” Free State coach Jon Renberger said. “All four of those girls were tired. They had played a lot of tennis.”

It was Ott’s and Spurgeon’s third match of the day. Last year at league, the duo lost the third-place match at No. 2 doubles.

That, Spurgeon said, was their reserve tank.

“We took fourth last year,” Spurgeon said, “and we really wanted to improve on that.”

As a team, the Firebirds finished third in the Sunflower League with 36 points. Shawnee Mission East (50) and Shawnee Mission South (39) took first and second.

Lawrence High finished eighth with 22 points, led by its No. 2 doubles team of Amy Bullerman and Ashley Woodward, who finished fifth.

“I’m delighted with their play,” LHS coach Dick Wedel said of Bullerman and Woodward.

“They really hustled, and they ran for every ball that was hit their way.”

Free State, while having no one play for first place, racked up plenty of team points. Along with Ott and Spurgeon, senior Marisa Steinbach was terrific Tuesday, taking third place in No. 2 singles by topping SM South’s Marie Cellitti in straight sets.

Steinbach, too, was running low on energy in the final match.

“We practice every day, so that gives you endurance,” Steinbach said. “But even though it’s not that hot out, it is hotter than what we’ve had lately.”

At No. 1 singles, senior Kristen Bushouse placed fifth, and at No. 1 doubles, the sister act of Rachel and Andrea Koch also placed fifth.

Last year, the Firebirds finished second at league, led by three eventual state champions in Emily Wang, Lacey Luina and Emily Loewen.

All three graduated, though, and that makes this year’s third-place finish all the more sweeter for Renberger and the Firebirds.

“Everyone made a big deal about who we lost,” Renberger said. “And we still finished third. I’m extremely happy with the way we played today.”

The Lions and the Firebirds now prepare for Class 6A regionals, which LHS will play host to Monday at Lawrence Tennis Center. It’s the last stop before the 6A state tournament, which starts Oct. 17 in Wichita.