Stuttgart's Bella Farias reaches out to hit the ball during a girls singles match against Ansbach's Meredith Maxwell during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

WIESBADEN, Germany – Bella Farias moved across an ocean to another continent, but her loss to a third seed at the regional level in North Carolina last season still stings.

When she stepped onto the court Thursday for the first match at the T2 Sport Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany, during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships, the Stuttgart junior once again saw a third seed in Ansbach’s Meredith Maxwell.

Farias didn’t repeat the experience this time. The Panther won the final five games to defeat the Cougar 8-4 and place herself in the driver’s seat for a semifinal berth heading into the final two matches of pool play.

“Yes, it did (play a role),” Farias said of the loss a year ago. “(Winning Thursday) gave me more confidence coming from five. It was pretty good, pretty important.”

Farias’ result was a part of a trend of fifth seeds from schools donning black and yellow upsetting third seeds.

Fellow Stuttgart juniors Isabel Williams and Isabella Suber held on against SHAPE’s Georgia Bourtzi and Chiara D’Arrigo 9-7 in Pool B of the girls doubles tournament.

On the boys side, Vicenza’s Andrew Reed and Jacob McGovern defeated Brussels’ Elham Aziri and Makailer Marzec Zinn 8-5.

Vilseck's Cameron Holloway looks back after chasing down a ball to hit back to Sigonella's Max Mercado during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

SHAPE's Alejandro Cuesta hits the ball back to Marymount's Giorgio delli Falconi during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Naples' Erion Lord dips down to hit the ball in a boys doubles match with teammate and brother Yoel Lord against Brussels' Elham Aziri and Makailer Marzec Zinn during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Sigonella's Madison Hoy jumps at the net to hit the ball during a girls doubles match with teammate Katie Balbo against SHAPE's Chiara D'Arrigo during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Brussels' Adrianne Chezik returns the ball during a girls doubles match with teammate Almina Kocabas against Wiesbaden's Sophie Rainey and Isabella Na during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart's Isabella Suber hits the ball in a girls doubles match with teammate Isabel Williams against SHAPE's Georgia Bourtzi and Chiara D'Arrigo during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

It was a big day for the Stuttgart trio. Suber mentioned she and Williams were nervous because they hadn’t played against any of their pool-play opponents prior to the championships.

“We accomplished a lot more than we originally thought,” Suber said.

The Panther duo looked like it was going to finish off the match comfortably after taking a 7-5 lead. But they slipped, just like Suber’s shoe came off her foot during one point.

After Bourtzi and D’Arrigo tied the match, the Panthers buckled down and won the final two games.

“We went in knowing it was going to be a hard match but also knowing that we’re pretty good players,” Williams said. “We just had to try our best.”

As for the Cougars, Reed disagreed with their seed heading into the tournament, and that belief impacted his and McGovern’s play against Aziri and Zinn.

His partner, meanwhile, downplayed seeding, saying the pair needed to take care of business no matter who’s in front of them.

“For me, it’s not the numbers of the seed that matter, it’s how you play,” McGovern said. “Just go into each match with the mindset of bring your ‘A’-game.”

Naples' Yoel Lord follows through after chasing down a ball during a boys doubles match with teammate and brother Erion Lord against Brussels' Elham Aziri and Makailer Marzec Zinn during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Lakenheath's Elisabeth Petrich hits the ball back in a girls singles match against Naples' Liliana Stutzman during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

AFNORTH's Koren Russell hits the ball at the net in a girls doubles match with teammate Christina Ervine against Sigonella's Madison Hoy and Katie Balbo during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Sigonella's Katie Balbo serves during a girls doubles match with her teammate Madison Hoy against SHAPE's Goergia Bourtzi and Chiara D'Arrigo during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden's Isabella Na hits the ball in a girls doubles match with teammate Bella Rainey against Brussels' Almina Kocabas during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Marymount's Giorgio delli Falconi serves in a boys singles match against SHAPE's Alejandro Cuesta during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

While the fifth seeds had plenty of success against third seeds, the athletes couldn’t replicate those results against the second seeds.

Reed and McGovern dropped their match to Ramstein’s Elliot Radosevich and Bernie Novak 8-5; Williams and Suber fell to Vicenza’s Annika Svenson and Addie Wilson 8-4; and Farias lost to last year’s runner-up Charlize Caro of Sigonella, 8-2.

At 1-1, the two doubles teams and Farias just have to win their final two pool-play matches Friday and they will clinch spots in the semifinals.

Reed said he and McGovern have an advantage, having beaten Wiesbaden’s Jack Bishop and Isaac Moon and Naples’ Erion and Yoel Lord during the regular season.

“We know what we have to do,” Reed said. “We just need to replicate that.”

Alconbury's Ana Alejandro Diez serves during a girls doubles match with teammate Gabriella Pantoja against Naples' Rita Harroum and Olivia FIscher during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Vicenza’s Jacob McGovern reaches up to hit a ball at the net in a boys doubles match with teammate Andrew Reed against Brussels’ Elham Aziri and Makailer Marzec Zinn during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Vicenza's Andrew Reed hits the ball during a boys doubles match with teammate Jacob McGovern against Brussels' Elham Aziri and Makailer Marzec Zinn during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Lakenheath's Jonathan Soito hits the ball during a boys singles match against Vicenza's Michael Gillett during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ansbach's Bobby Lovallo serves during a boys doubles match with teammate Brodie Kohrs against Sigonella's Chase and Travis Miller during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Spangdahlem's Sandrine Bennett follows through hitting the ball in a girls singles match against Naples' Liliana Stutzman during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Bernie Novak hits the ball in a boys doubles match with teammate Elliot Radosevich against Vicenza's Andrew Reed and Jacob McGovern during the first day of the DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2024, at T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

No. 10s notch wins

Ansbach’s Brodie Kohrs has been playing tennis for just five months, picking up the sport at the urging of his teammate Bobby Lovallo.

That made his win with Lovallo as the 10th seed over Sigonella’s Chase and Travis Miller even sweeter. The Cougars defeated the Jaguar pair 8-5 in their second pool-play match Thursday.

“Bobby’s been my friend since Day 1,” Kohrs said. “Winning with him means the world.”

The win meant a lot to Lovallo, too. The senior had played nine European tournament matches prior to the one against the Miller brothers and hadn’t recorded a win.

“The first time I came here, I was so scared to play because I was in the big championships,” Lovallo said. “Now, I’ve done it before, so I’m ready to overcome the fear.”

Lovallo and Kohrs weren’t the only 10th seed to pick up a victory Thursday.

Lakenheath’s Jonathan Soito beat Lovallo’s younger brother, Jack, in the boys singles tournament, 9-7. The result came almost three weeks after the Cougar came back from a one-set deficit to win over the Lancer in a third-set tiebreaker.

Soito, a sophomore, said getting past Lovallo was a boost. Even though he was eliminated from making the semifinals after going 1-2 on the day, the Lakenheath ace said he now has plenty of motivation heading into the offseason.

“It was really nice to avenge myself,” Soito said. “It really brought my spirits up to see I was able to overcome my conflict, my battle.”