It was a great day for Deerfield JV girls’ tennis! Whittled down by injury, illness, and AP exams, a squad of 8 players traveled to Northfield Mount Hermon on Wednesday afternoon. Stepping up and rolling with a shuffled ladder, 6 team members mixed it up and played both singles and doubles. Seniors Maddie Chai and Helena Tebeau, pairing up for the first time this season, found their rhythm at #1 doubles and won 8-2. At #2 doubles, another new pair, senior Ally Edwards and junior Claire Zhang (a true student-athlete, fresh off her AP Lit exam!), got an 8-3 victory. At #3 doubles, 9th graders Tess Mannix and Whitney Vogt continued their winning streak and secured a smooth 8-2 win, relying on their excellent communication and demonstrating their typical supportive teamwork. Doubles #4 provided a thrilling contest, as Ally Kell ’20 and Cate O’Byrne ’19, playing together for the first time, went to 8-8 with their partners. The tiebreak game was locked at 3-3, but Kell and O’Byrne stayed calm and pulled away. Kell hit the winner, a wicked slice down the line, to win the match and give Deerfield its fourth straight victory of the day.
In singles, Chai and Tebeau held their opponents to one game apiece on their way to 8. Chai’s scorchers down the line and Tebeau’s vicious volleys showed that both seniors were there to play. Edwards traded games with a capable partner, but then pulled away to win the match 8-4, drawing on her strong combination of mental fortitude and tennis experience. Zhang met her match in the Hoggers’ #4 singles player, who took her to 8-8 and then won the tiebreak 7-2, despite Zhang’s best efforts. Vogt, trying her hand at singles play, relied on her excellent volley placement and increasingly strong ground game to win 8-2. Filling in the singles side was Kell at #6. Last on the court once again, Kell maintained her usual cool-headed consistency to earn an 8-3 win and give Deerfield its 9th point of the day.
After three straight away games, the team looks forward to being home this Saturday at 3 p.m. against Loomis Chaffee.