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05/16/2022 12:00 AMStepping back into the role of Branford girls’ tennis coach after 20 years, Dave Gruendel understood that there was going to be a transition period for the program this year. However, the Hornets came to the court ready to compete in 2022 and displayed that enthusiasm while winning four of their five matches last week.
Branford notched victories against Shelton, Career, Sheehan, and East Haven to go with a loss to Jonathan Law in last week’s contests. The Hornets improved their record to 11-2 with four matches left in regular-season play this spring.
“I knew as we got to the end of the season, we were going to have some of these weeks. We just needed to play as we had been playing,” Coach Gruendel said. “The girls really rose to the occasion. It was a wonderful thing to see.”
Branford earned a 7-0 home victory against Shelton in its first match of the week on May 9. Freshman Peyton Gaudreau posted a 6-0, 6-0 shutout at No. 1 singles for the Hornets; while junior Evelyn Mollow prevailed by that same score in the No. 2 singles match. Junior Leila Omeragic claimed a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 3 singles; and senior captain Juliana Torello was a 6-2, 6-4 winner at No. 4 singles.
Branford’s No. 1 doubles team of senior Celina Shrestha and junior Evie Kaiser netted a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory. The No. 2 duo of senior captain Zaide Schlesinger and junior Scout Engstrom notched a 6-3, 6-4 win; and the No. 3 team of senior Tiffanie Ly and freshman Erin Newlan triumphed by the final score of 6-0, 6-1.
The next day, the Hornets claimed a 7-0 road win versus Career. Gaudreau (6-0, 6-0), Ly (6-0, 6-1), junior Dominque Smith (6-0, 6-0), and Newlan (6-0, 6-0) were all victorious in the singles matches for Branford. The Hornets’ No. 1 doubles team of junior Olivia Torello and sophomore Ellie Wieland posted a 6-0, 6-0 win.
Branford went on to defeat Sheehan by a 5-2 final in a road match on May 11. Gaudreau and Mollow netted 6-0, 6-0 victories at the top two singles spots. The doubles duos of Torello and Kaiser (6-2, 6-3), Scheslinger and Engstrom (6-4, 6-1), and Ly and Newlan (6-3, 6-2) all won their contests in straight sets.
On May 13, Branford hosted Jonathan Law and took a 5-2 loss to the Eagles. Gaudreau earned a 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles for the Hornets. Mollow won a 6-0, 6-1 decision at No. 2 singles.
While their matchup against Law marked Branford’s only loss of the week, Coach Gruendel said that Gaudreau’s win at No. 1 singles was one of the best performances for the team this season. The Hornets had already lost the match, but when the freshman pulled off the three-set victory, everyone on the team jumped up and celebrated, showing Gruendel the type of character that permeates his club.
“Peyton was one of the last matches being played. She was playing against one of the best No. 1 girls in the whole conference,” said Gruendel. “When she won, our whole team cheered like we won the whole match. At that point, we had lost the match. To hear our team cheer for our No. 1 as if we won the whole thing was utterly brilliant.”
The next day, the Hornets posted a 7-0 shutout over East Haven in a home match. Gaudreau (8-0), Mollow (8-0), Shrestha (8-4), and sophomore Ella Kelly (8-6) all won their singles matches. Branford’s doubles teams of Torello-Kaiser (8-1), Schlesinger-Engstrom (8-4), and Ly-Newlan (8-0) were also victorious.
Branford now has 11 victories following its solid performance on the court last week. Facing some tough SCC Tier 2 competition, Coach Gruendel was impressed with how his team battled while playing five matches in a six-day stretch.
“I’m not sure if there are words to express how proud I am of this team as a whole. We played some great matches against good Tier 2 teams,” Gruendel said. “I’m glad we played them at the end of the year, because we’re really starting to get into form.”
While Gruendel is happy to be coaching the Hornets this season, he didn’t expect to be in that role. Jim Cole, who had coached the girls’ tennis team for the past several years, passed away in January. After the team had a meeting with Athletic Director Tom Ermini, Omeragic, who had Gruendel as a teacher, reached out to see if he would be interested in taking the role.
Gruendel had previously coached both the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams at Branford, finishing a four-year stint as the girls’ head coach in 2000. He decided to apply and felt fortunate when he was named Branford’s head coach. Gruendel said that everyone on the team welcomed him with open arms, and he’s been pleased to see such a strong connection among all the players on the Hornets’ roster.
“They’ve really gone with the flow. Any time new leadership comes in, there’s going to be transition. I’m very grateful that this team has accepted me as they have as their coach,” said Gruendel. “They’re a wonderful group of young ladies. They play hard. They know when to be serious and when to be goofy. They have great balance.”
As they close out the regular season, the Hornets have put themselves in a good position to succeed in both SCCs and states this spring. In addition to racking up the wins, Coach Gruendel feels proud to see so much passion in a program that’s filled with athletes who enjoy spending time with each other both on and off the court.
“This is a team that I don’t think realizes how good it is. When they play, they play with a spirit that is just simply fun to watch,” Gruendel said. “They roll with everything. They go out there, they play hard. When they’re doing it, they look at each other, figure out what they could do differently, and then smile. It’s everything I could’ve hoped for. It’s not just the on-the-court moments, but it’s the off-the-court moments we’re all having fun with.”
The Branford girls’ tennis team features senior captains Zaide Schlesinger and Juliana Torello; seniors Reese Inzero, Tiffanie Ly and Celina Shrestha; juniors Scout Engstrom, Evie Kaiser, Evelyn Mollow, Leila Omeragic, Dominique Smith, and Olivia Torello; sophomores Isabella Kelly, Allison McCarthy, and Ellie Wieland; and freshmen Jenna Acquarulo, Peyton Gaudreau, Erin Newlan, and Lynka Orosz.