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05/06/2024 12:33 AMGirls’ Tennis
The Valley girls’ tennis team celebrated its last home match of the season on April 29 and honored its four seniors: captain Joanna Petrone, captain Natalie Novak, Clara Shea, and Hannah Schwartzman. The Warriors then won their second match against Coginchaug this season by a score of 6-1. Every single player/team beat their opponent in just two sets.
Novak won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles. Shea won convincingly (6-0, 6-0) at third singles. Freshman Riley Russell took down her rival 6-4, 6-1 at fourth singles.
The first doubles team of junior Regan Grow and sophomore Hannah Smith won 6-1, 6-0. The No. 2 doubles pairing of sophomore Ella Smith and junior Sophia Bonanno won 6-0, 6-2. The third doubles duo, sophomore Alana Martinez and junior Hannah Faucher, won 6-2, 6-0.
On May 1, the team traveled to Old Lyme and fell 4-3 against its biggest rival in the Shoreline Conference. Russell dropped her first set 3-6 but then re-grouped and dominated the next two sets 6-2, 6-2 for the win at fourth singles.
“Russell continues to mature as a player and is very coachable,” said Head Coach Sage Novak. “She will continue to do great things as her confidence and abilities increase.”
The second doubles team of Smith and Bonanno won the first set 6-3 and then battled through the second set to force a tie-breaker at 6-6. They lost the tie-breaker which forced a third set that they proceeded to convincingly win 6-2.
“Ella and Sophia are a great team - they care about one another and are such good communicators,” Novak said. “They have an ability to dig in and battle through and are currently undefeated as a team!”
Martinez and Faucher at third doubles quickly dispatched their opponents 6-2, 6-0. They too remain undefeated as a team.
“Being third doubles can be challenging, as most schools don't have enough courts for everyone to start at once,” said Novak. “Alana and Hannah have to sit on the sidelines for up to an hour or more waiting for a court to open up, and that can be difficult mentally and physically. But these two have risen to every occasion and are doing amazing.”
Novak was proud of the way her girls persevered and stayed competitive against a team with a major track record of success.
“After over three hours of playing, we ultimately took the loss 3-4, but when I tell you the Warriors were playing at the highest level I've seen them perform at, it's the truth,” explained Novak. “Every single court had just brilliant tennis being played, and it was so exciting! My girls forced three third sets, and at one point, we had three tie-breakers going on at the same time! The entire Old Lyme contingent was holding their breath because their team hadn’t suffered a loss in years.”