Deerfield Opens the Season at Home Versus Groton
The Deerfield Varsity Girls kicked off their season with a highly competitive marathon match versus visiting Groton on Saturday. In the end, as the match pushed toward four hours, Groton bested Deerfield’s squad 5-4. The result was in question until the final minutes, and both teams have promising seasons ahead.
Deerfield opened the day with strong doubles play. Isha Rao and Hunter Pulliam continued to build on last season’s success, notching Deerfield’s first win of the day. Groton’s premier doubles pairing put up quite the fight, battling back from four games down. Ultimately, Isha and Hunter closed out the match with a tremendous match point. New doubles team, Olivia Waterfall and Natalia Sanders won a back and forth affair at second doubles. Sanders punctuated this match with a vicious ace on match point. It’s encouraging to see new addition, Sanders, join veteran teammate, Waterfall, to form what is sure to be a winning combination this season.
At singles, Deerfield took wins at the top two positions, but neither was without drama. Isha Rao soldiered through a first set deficit to force a tie breaker and won it 7-2. She rolled in the second set and gave Deerfield its third point of the day. Hunter Pulliam dialed things in after her first set in a big way. The second went for Pulliam 6-0 and the third set tie break 10-4.
Deerfield’s varsity ladies turn their attention to another home tilt on Wednesday with Westminster coming to town.
Individual Results:
Doubles:
- Rao/Pulliam, 8-6
- Sanders/Waterfall, 8-5
- Brooker/Pajak, 3-8
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles:
- Isha Rao, 7-6 (7-2)
- Natalia Sanders, 3-6, 3-6
- Hunter Pulliam, 4-6, 6-0, 10-4
- Olivia Waterfall, 3-6, 3-6
- Avery Brooker, 2-6, 2-6
- Katherine Pajak, 2-6, 1-6
Order of Finish: 6, 3, 5, 4, 2, 1