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Indians Wish They Were Holding Court

At this time of year, the North Haven girls’ tennis team would typically be putting the finishing touches on another solid regular season and then getting ready to test its mettle in the postseason. However, 2020 has been anything but your typical year as COVID-19 has brought high school sports to a standstill. So, while spring may in the air with flowers blooming and birds chirping, the tennis courts at the North Haven Athletic Complex remain vacant—and that’s a hard thought for Indians’ Head Coach Bob Migliorini to process.

“I love coaching, and this is a group of girls that I was really looking forward to working with. I thought that this was going to be a good year for us, a surprise year for us,” said Migliorini, who has coached the team for the past 11 seasons. “I felt with the girls that we had been grooming and some new girls coming in, that we were going to have a strong season. So, to not be able to work with this group, especially the seniors who had been with us the last three years, is a huge disappointment for me.”

North Haven was ready to hit the court with five seniors on its roster this spring, including captains Anna Wootton, Claire Looney, and Kara Stevens, along with Victoria Porto and Taylor Richitelli. Wootton was slated to return to the singles lineup, while Looney and Stevens were going to join forces on the doubles court.

Coach Migliorini kept in contact with his captains as the season was hanging in the balance, hoping they would have a chance to play. As the days went by, the prospects of that happening seemed bleak. On May 5, the inevitable became a reality when the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference announced that it canceling the 2020 spring season.

Migliorini feels bad that his athletes won’t get to represent North Haven on the court. In particular, Migliorini expressed tremendous sorrow for his seniors, especially since they are missing out on a variety of activities that usually accompany someone’s final year of high school.

“This was probably their last chance to play team tennis. The seniors on our team have no plans to play college tennis, so this was it. By losing this season, they lose their last opportunity to play team tennis in their lifetime,” Migliorini said. “I feel terrible that they’re missing out on practices, matches, and all the fun things we do like our Senior Day, playing in SCCs and states, and our end-of-the-year banquet. But it’s not only about tennis. They’re also missing their prom, the senior picnic, and possibly graduation. It’s a terrible year to be a high school senior for sure.”

Even though Wootton, Looney, and Stevens won’t be able to fulfill their duties as captains, Coach Migliorini knows that all three athletes were going to serve as exemplary leaders for his team.

“Anna is well-liked by everyone. She’s a good communicator, a good role model for the other players, and a great student. She would have made a really nice captain for us,” said Migliorini. “Kara and Claire have also been a part of the team for a number of years, so they know how we do things and what our expectations are. They are also good communicators who are well-liked by the other girls on the team and, because of those traits, they would have been outstanding captains.”

North Haven was coming off a 2019 season that saw the squad finish with an overall record of 14-7, while qualifying for both the SCC Tournament and the Class M State Tournament, winning its opening match in the latter bracket. The season marked the final go-round at North Haven for top singles player and Migliorini’s daughter, Julia Migliorini, who finished with a record of 99-5 for her high school career.

However, despite this big loss, Coach Migliorini still believed that the Indians had the pieces in place for another good year with their mix of returning veterans and some talented newcomers. Sophomore Ally Vollero was most likely going to step up and play No. 1 singles on the heels of her freshman success at the No. 2 spot. Vollero, who plays on the United States Tennis Association (USTA) circuit during the offseason, earned the right to compete among Connecticut’s elite at the State Open in her debut high school campaign. Coach Migliorini feels that Vollero has a couple of excellent years ahead of her at North Haven.

“Ally was a great freshman for us at No. 2 singles. She trained hard in the offseason, continues to improve all aspects of her game, and is really setting herself to be able to play college tennis,” Migliorini said. “There is no reason why Ally can’t compete for us at No. 1 singles the next two years.”

Sophomore Taylor Morris was also going to compete for one of the top positions in North Haven’s singles lineup this season. Morris joined the Indians after playing No. 1 singles at The Foote School in New Haven as a freshman last year.

Another newcomer for North Haven is freshman Risa Tobin. A seasoned USTA player, Tobin was in the mix to play either No. 2 or 3 singles in 2020.

“I have seen Taylor play, and she is a strong player, a powerful player,” said Migliorini. “Risa would have also been a contender for our singles lineup. She is another serious tennis player.”

Wootton was penciled in to return to her post as North Haven’s No. 4 singles player. Junior Megan Kell was looking to compete for a spot in the singles lineup and/or play some doubles matches this year.

“Anna is a real steady player. She keeps the ball in play, is an extremely smart player, and runs everything down,” Coach Migliorini said. “Megan played some singles matches last year and did well. She’s a really good athlete whose technique keeps getting better with time, and the plan is to have her play singles for us moving forward.”

In terms of the doubles lineup, Looney and Stevens were going to pair up at the No. 1 spot for the Indians. Stevens played No. 1 doubles last season, while Looney competed out of the No. 3 position.

“Kara had a whole year of experience at No. 1 doubles and did well. Claire had a nice year at No. 3 and was playing in the offseason at the North Haven Health & Racquet Club,” said Migliorini. “I thought that having the two of them together as a doubles team would be a good fit.”

Other athletes who were expected to compete for spots in North Haven’s doubles lineup are juniors Nadia Kavgaci, Sophia DelVecchio, Sophia Raposo, Noelle Carmody, Kaitlyn Ha, Haley Clark, Merve Sarivildiz, Gabrielle Tropeano, and Jannat Butt; sophomores Zeena Mohamed, Zoey LoPresti, and Ariana Stewart; and freshmen Samantha Adams and Holly Begin.

The other athletes on the Indians’ roster are juniors Sophia Romano, Arianna DiPaola, and Julia Bogen; along with sophomores Allie Pollio, Estelle Bessette, Sarthi Shah, Mariam Khalil, and Scarlett Vogel.

North Haven’s assistant coaches are Justin Simon and Migliorini’s daughter, Alyssa Migliorini.

While it’s a sad situation that North Haven isn’t playing any matches this year, Coach Migliorini is trying to stay positive. Migliorini feels confident about the fact that the Indians will bring back a nice cast of quality players next season. When the green light is given to get back in action, Migliorini wants his returning athletes to do everything they can to make sure they’re ready to roll when the 2021 campaign gets underway.

“I think we’re really well-positioned for 2021. I’m disappointed that these girls are losing out on a year of experience, but I’m hoping that they will continue to play when tennis picks up again in the state,” Migliorini said. “I’m really optimistic that we will have a strong lineup and a good team.”