For the second-straight spring, the Hand girls’ tennis team found itself at center court vying for a Class M state championship against the same adversary. Yet this time, the Tigers’ determination to not be denied championship glory a second time pushed them over the top to flip the script.

Following a 12-5 regular season campaign and SCC Tournament semifinals berth, the Tigers entered the Class M State Tournament as the No. 9 seed. After scoring a 6-1 first-round road win over No. 8 Valley Regional on May 26, a 7-0 quarterfinals home sweep of 16th-seeded Rocky Hill on May 30, and finally a 6-1 victory at No. 5 Nonnewaug in the semifinal round on May 31, Hand made its way back to the championship round in facing Stonington (seeded second) for the second-consecutive campaign in the state final on June 1 at Wesleyan University.

In the title-bout rematch, it was Hand who evened the score with a 5-2 triumph to give the program its third state crown in the last four years, fourth since 2017, and sixth overall in team history. The Tigers also finished their campaign atop Class M with a final and impressive mark of 17-6 after handing the Bears only their second defeat of 2023 at 16-2.

“This was a huge win on many levels. We were here in the finals last year and faced Stonington, losing 6-1,” said Head Coach John Gage. “We lost to them this season 5-2 but felt that we could beat them if we prepared and stayed mentally strong. We have spent the last three weeks getting ready for this potential rematch, and I believe that all the girls’ hard work paid off today.”

The format of the state tournament for tennis is always conducive to playing plenty of pressure-packed matches in such a short time frame. Playing four matches in six days, Gage noted that it can test your poise and composure, but the Tigers passed that with flying colors and were true to the task of taking it all the way.

“We have spent so much time talking about attitude, outlook, and staying positive even when setbacks happen,” said Gage. “Strategy, technique, and fundamentals are obviously important, which is what we address in every practice, but I’ve told the girls that in high pressure match situations, you can’t fix your backhand or your volleys. But you can fix your attitude and how you react to those things. I truly believe that’s what won it for us today. As far as playing all of those matches in a short time, that’s our whole season. Playing 3-4 matches a week in the SCC in a short spring season is what we’re used to–high pressure for sure and it prepared us well for the state tournament.”

On the afternoon in singles, senior co-captain Laila Haraj-Sai took down Grace Duggan in straight sets with 7-5 and 6-3 decisions; freshman Loden Bradstreet prevailed over Marcella Hamm with 6-4, 7-5 sets; and sophomore Antoinette Lowy won against Maddie Gonzales (6-3, 6-3); freshman Emma Lee also competed in solo action, falling 4-6, 2-6 to Emily Fulling.

“Going back to the state championship this year and for the third year in a row and winning it was a great way to end off my senior year,” said Haraj-Sai. “While we did lose to Stonington a few weeks ago, we fought for every ball and point and wanted to win since we fell short at the state final last year. Everyone had a great match, and I’m so proud of the team, knowing we were going up against another very good team that fought hard to get the championship as well.”

Moving to doubles, senior co-captain Libby Rogers and sophomore Ella Helfrich grinded out a three-set triumph over Lauren Buckley and Katya Snegovsleilch (3-6, 6-2, 6-2); junior Teagan Ariyan and sophomore Juliana Jorens secured a victory over Stonington’s tandem of Marina Lewandowskiand and Misha Lewandowski (6-2, 7-6 (7-2)); finally senior Sofia Felgate and sophomore Mia Scott fell to Gwen McGugan and Angelina Williams (3-6, 1-6).

“I am so incredibly proud of this team and all of the work that went into this season,” said Rogers. “To make the state finals three years straight, and then win it twice is an incredible thought. I remember after losing to Stonington in the regular season, I said to our coach that we were under no circumstances losing to them in the finals again this year. This team is unbelievably talented and has so much potential. I can’t wait to see them win again next year.”

Between battling a bevy of heavyweights in the SCC throughout the course of the campaign, along with seeing Stonington in what would amount to a state title preview, Hand was very well-versed in coarse competition once states began.

“The SCC is tough and every match we played was competitive. Cheshire and [Class L champion] Guilford in particular have only gotten stronger since last season, which is saying something, and Amity is always a powerhouse,” said Gage. “That level of play really prepared us well for the teams we met in the state tournament, and it was very advantageous for us to have played Stonington during the season to get an idea of what the finals might look like should we both make it there again.”

At the State Open Championship, Helfrich and Rogers prevailed in the Round of 32 on June 5 in straight sets (6-2, 6-1) over the same Stonington duo they faced in the M final before bowing out in the next round the following day against New Canaan’s Serena Platt and Layla Zuwiyya (0-6, 0-6).

Hand has a championship lineage that the SCC and state is well aware of and, while Gage was proud to mentor the team to add to it, he was equally proud of how the girls grasped the always-essential mental game that is a hallmark of state title-clad clubs.

“[This season] means so much; this program has a long history of success, and I was thrilled to be here in the finals last year in my first season with the team,” Gage said. “To win it against the team who beat us last year is amazing. We lost to Stonington twice last year and once this season. The girls fought really hard to prepare physically but more importantly mentally for this match, and they came through in a big way today.”

The 2023 Hand roster is comprised of seniors Felgate, Haraj-Sai, Rogers; juniors of Hayden Agee, Ariyan, Kayla Johnson, Joyce Li; sophomores with Abigail Bishop, Helfrich, Jorens, Lowy, Scott; and freshmen in Bradstreet, Grace Brown, Lilah Browning, Phoebe Burt, Emma Coscia, Jasmine Couret, Claire Harriman, Lee, Maddie Martin, Brynn Poole, and Skylar Powers.

Gage, who has also been the band director at Hand since 2010, is assisted by first-year assistant coach David Buller, a math and computer science teacher at the school.

To view more photos from Hand’s triumph in the state final, check out our gallery of the match at: https://www.zip06.com/photo-galleries/20230620/hand-girls-tennis-class-m-championship/

2023 Hand Girls’ Tennis Team Regular Season and Postseason Results

April 3: Hand 5, North Haven 2

April 5: Cheshire 4, Hand 3

April 18: Hand 7, Sheehan 0

April 19: Hand 7, Mercy 0

April 21: Hand 5, Shelton 2

April 24: Hand 6, Sacred Heart Academy 1

April 26: Hand 7, Law 0

May 1: Hand 7, North Haven 0

May 2: Hand 6, Branford 1

May 3: Hand 7, Lauralton Hall 0

May 5: Hand 4, Cheshire 3

May 8: Amity 6, Hand 1

May 10: Hand 4, Guilford 3

May 12: Stonington 5, Hand 2

May 16: Hand 7, Lauralton Hall 0

May 17: Amity 7, Hand 0

May 18: Guilford 4, Hand 3

May 21: SCC Tournament quarterfinal: Hand 6, Branford 1

May 22: SCC Tournament semifinal: Guilford 5, Hand 2