Printer Friendly Version - Branford Girls’ Tennis Trending Upward on Experience, Competitiveness on the Court

Peyton Gaudreau is the No. 1 singles player and one of two junior captains for the Branford girls’ tennis team this spring, as the Hornets are looking to lock up postseason berths in the waning weeks of the regular season. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Sound

The Branford girls’ tennis team knew heading into the fray of the 2024 season that it would be a stretch of many learning experiences, wins, and losses. Still, the Hornets are staying the course and putting themselves in prime position to be part of the playoff conversation.

For the 2023 campaign, Branford entered the Class M State Tournament as the No. 13 seed. In the qualifying round on May 26, they defeated No. 20 Sheehan 4-3. In the first round the next day, the Hornets faced No. 4 Suffield and took a 4-3 loss to finish 12-8 overall in a season that also saw the Hornets finish behind only Sacred Heart Academy in Tier 2 of the SCC and qualify for the conference draw.

Head Coach David Gruendel and the Hornets have played their way to a 5-8 mark entering into the early days of May. He expressed that the preseason preparations involved a little bit of reshuffling the deck due to inevitable departures by graduation, and they are aiming to gain retribution in rematches during the back half of the regular season to qualify for the postseason.

“First, our easily identifiable goals were to qualify for both the SCC and state tournaments,” said Gruendel, in his third season as the head coach. “Having lost five starting seniors, we knew it could be a challenge and, despite some tough losses, the team is still gunning to make both tourneys. But it will mean that we will need to win against teams we played tough but lost to earlier in the season.”

Two juniors have jumped into the captain’s helm upon the court and off of it. Erin Newlan occupies the No. 3 singles position in the lineup, while Peyton Gaudreau is at the No. 1 hole. With such a youthful squad, their leadership skill set away from the baselines will prove just as critical as on-court skills in predicting squad success.

“Erin is one of the mainstays of this team. A motivator, she works hard and is one that is going to make her opponents work every point. In addition to being a terrific player who shows her teammates what is possible with effort and commitment, Peyton is a gracious player and a ‘de facto’ assistant coach. All season long, she has demonstrated her ability to play good tennis. Her only loss came against Alex Orlins of Cheshire. It was a great match to watch, and the outcome is sure to mean their next match will be another one of brilliant tennis,” Gruendel said. “Both captains are only juniors of a young team, but they are learning their roles. I am certain that their leadership will prove important in terms of how well the team plays and how well this team will come together and work to get better.”

Additional promising spots in the Branford lineup include the No. 1 doubles team of Julianne Henkel and Tate Jones, both sophomores, along with No. 2 solo sophomore Hana Omeragic, and senior Ridhima Shrestha–playing at No. 3 doubles.

“Julianne and Tate bring an energy and voice that a young team needs to help raise spirits and up for matches. For a young team, they play gutsy tennis and bring a consistency to each match that is impressive,” said Gruendel. “Hana Omeragic is filling big shoes this year. Her sister Leila played No. 2 last year, so Hana is stepping up to that role. She is finding a confidence that has shown her willingness to swing more freely and with power. With only one senior, Ridhima Shrestha, starting, this is a young team in a rebuilding year, and many on the team are seeing regular playing time that will build confidence, which will help us finish strong this year and can be a springboard for an even better year next season.”

Despite trying to rebuild, the Hornets have still certainly taken it to their challengers and have achieved victories. In a 4-3 decision over Sacred Heart Academy on May 1, the overall match came down to the No. 3 doubles team of Shrestha and freshman Becca Law, which pulled out a 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 win.

“This pair showed resilience and tremendous grace under pressure to secure the team win,” said Gruendel. “Seeing the rest of the team run to get to Becca and Ridhima said much about the camaraderie of this group.”

Several individuals have also collected notable victories on the year. On April 29, Omeragic at No. 2 singles played a tough match against North Haven, clinching a 7-5, 6-2 victory. Newlan dropped a first set against North Haven on April 5 but rebounded for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 triumph.

On April 1, junior Jenna Acquarulo won in straight sets over Shelton (7-5, 6-0). Fellow junior Paloma Bandyo scratched out a three-setter versus Foran with set scores of 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. Law and Shrestha grinded out a marathon against Shelton on April 24 in two sets (7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3)). Lastly, the top doubles tandem of Henkel and Jones went the distance on April 15 over Lauralton Hall (6-2, 5-7, 6-2).

There were certainly tons of question marks entering the campaign for the Hornets with such a young roster. Yet only about halfway through the regular season, Branford has answered them quite emphatically with a group of girls who have not only shown their athleticism but also flashed their courage and determination to win.

“The bigger goal of this young team was to find out who we are, play some matches that will help define our character, and serve as motivation for us to keep growing as a team,” said Gruendel. “Many of these younger players are stepping up into starting positions and are facing challenges, but I have seen them rise to those challenges, and their efforts bode well for the rest of this season and next.”

The 2024 Branford roster is comprised of seniors Carmella Lippolis, Shrestha; juniors of Acquarulo, Bandyo, Gaudreau, Newlan, Lynka Orosz; sophomores with Lillian Gagliardi, Henkel, Jones, Ayla Omeragic, Hana Omeragic; plus freshmen Law, Emma McAdams, and Chinonyerem Obi.