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06/13/2023 08:16 AMIt’s not every day that you see a team win two straight state titles. Despite the odds and the automatic target on their backs, the Guilford girls’ tennis team pushed through the setbacks and defied the odds to hoist state championship hardware for the second consecutive season for Class L.
After coming up short of an SCC Championship crown following a 6-1 loss to Amity Regional in the conference final, it was all eyes on states for the Grizzlies as they were able to claim that well-desired championship accolade on June 1 at Wesleyan University. The No. 4 seed Grizzlies defeated the 3rd-seeded Avon Falcons 4-3 in what was a tight and competitive contest.
Guilford Head Coach Chris Marra is proud of the girls and the composure they showed throughout the state tournament, especially when facing a tough adversary in the semifinal round that tested their limits.
“The first couple of rounds were pretty easy. The semis were tough, we played Farmington, it was a very competitive match,” said Marra. “They were a good team, and they really did make it where they won three matches easily and we won three matches easily. It was just that last match that was not a big one.”
In that matchup with Farmington, the Grizzlies won 4-3. Winners for Guilford included junior captain Kallie Kagan at No. 2 singles, senior Molly Peterson at No. 4 singles, and No. 3 doubles pairing of Mia Hardy (sophomore) and Kate DeAngelo (senior). No. 3 singles player Caroline Hergan won the fourth match, which was an unusual win because her opponent retired during the match.
Prior to facing the River Hawks, Guilford played a first-round matchup against 20th-seeded Pomperaug on May 27 and swept the board with a 7-0 win. For singles, senior captain and No. 1 singles player Riley Mullett won 6-0, 6-2. Hergan (6-3, 6-0) and Peterson (6-0, 6-0) also collected singles victories, as did sophomore Olivia Cowperthwait (6-0, 6-1). For doubles, Izzy Bowman (senior) and Peyton Lynch (sophomore) won 6-1, 6-1. Alexie Gipson (junior) and Gabby Kellner (junior) recorded a 6-2, 7-5 victory, and DeAngelo and Hardy won 6-2, 6-0. Guilford then saw 5th-ranked Brookfield on May 30 in the quarterfinals and added another 7-0 sweep to their tally.
Heading into the final round, Marra and the Grizzlies knew the matchup against Avon would be a tough one. With the way the tournament played out, the team was unable to have more than one day off in between matchups. Marra noted that the girls were able to hit about a half hour before leaving to play Avon, as well as go over any minor things.
“We had played them last year in the semis, we knew it was going to be competitive. There was definitely a competitive atmosphere from both sides that normally you may not have in a tennis match,” said Marra. “They were looking to show us that our last thing was a fluke, and we were looking to show them that it was not. Very similar to the semis, we won three matches pretty convincingly.”
Winners for the match were Kagan (7-5, 6-3) and Peterson (6-0, 6-3) for singles. On the doubles side, Gipson and Kellner (7-5, 7-6) and DeAngelo and Hardy (6-1, 6-1) added victories.
“Kallie played an amazing match. She stayed consistent and strong until the very end,” Marra said. “Molly continues to be a rock at number 4 and played great with a tough crowd. Caroline played a tough match against a good opponent. Riley played another big player and has done such a great job at one against top-notch competition. Kate and Mia were incredible; they have just dominated at three in the postseason. Gabby and Alexie played their Match of the Year. They had a great regular season but had been struggling during the postseason. To come through and win the deciding match was big for them. We are all super proud of them!”
Marra also noted that Bowman and Lynch made a great comeback in the second set, they just came up a little short.
Most of the Grizzlies roster for this spring consisted of returning players that won the state title last season, including the three captains (Mullett, Kagan and Kellner) who helped secure the title again this year. The three of them proved to be very valuable in leading their team to victory.
“They did a really good job of keeping the girls going in terms of morale, making sure that everyone believed. One of the nice things about it is, for the ten girls that play, they are all really good self-starters,” said Marra. “It does not take much for the captains to push them for what they want. It also does not take much to be there. Everyone had experience and no one was really in that position with limited experience in how to play in those situations. They all did a really great job.”
After seeing his team win back-to-back state titles, Marra was at a loss for words with the way they handled the pressure that came with every match.
“It was really incredible to watch the girls step up and win. Again going back to last year in the semifinals and then this year in the finals, it was a pretty good rival and a team that we really wanted to beat, prove that we could beat them twice,” said Marra. “I think every team every year goes out and does the best they can. The team has been very close this year. They have worked hard until the very end of the season to keep improving. I couldn’t ask for a better group of players.”
Mullett, who was named to the All-SCC First Team for her performance in the singles slate this spring, gave credit to her teammates for maintaining focus and positivity as they focused on their goal of winning back-to-back championships, something she helped facilitate as a captain.
“Winning the state championship this year was surreal,” Mullett said. “To do it for the first time in school history last year, and then again this year, was really a testament to this team’s hard work and determination. As a captain, I felt it was most important that our team stayed energized and positive throughout the state tournament. Once you win a state title there’s a lot of pressure to repeat that success, but I didn’t want us to lose the enthusiasm that got us to the final last year. Recognizing the contributions of each team member, not just those on the court, was crucial to maintain this energy.”
To add onto what was already a very successful campaign, Marra was additionally named Coach of the Year for girls’ tennis for the SCC.
“I was super surprised, and I had no idea it was coming. It was new this year and we all voted online, it was a really nice surprise,” said Marra. “We have a lot of great coaches in the conference, so it was very nice to be chosen by my peers.”
The Grizzlies full roster is comprised of Bowman, DeAngelo, Mullett, Katera Prohaski (senior), Alexandra Bobrow (junior), Irene Esplugues (junior), Gipson, Kagan, Kellner, Peterson, Ava Scandone (junior), Clara Arpie (sophomore), Luciana Brechlin (sophomore), Julia Castonguay (sophomore), Cowperthwait, Sophie Gochman-Nadolna (sophomore, one doubles), Hardy, Hergan, Thitida Khambounhounag (sophomore, doubles), Lynch, Veronica Zuniga (sophomore), Hannah Brown (freshman), Sabrina Chung (freshman), Makenna Clark (freshman), Katherine Gasparini (freshman), Juliette Kellner (freshman), Sienna Pagano (freshman), and Breann Shelton (freshman).
To see more photos of Guilford’s victory in the state final, check out this gallery at: https://www.zip06.com/photo-galleries/20230620/guilford-girls-tennis-class-l-championship/