After a week of gorgeous weather and anticipation, Deerfield’s varsity girls tennis was back on the courts Saturday in Windsor, CT and defeated the Pelicans 6-3.
The final result was illustrative of the competitive nature of the match. Thanks to depth on the lineup and smart tennis, the Big Green squad came out on top. Doubles was hotly contested on the number one court. Ashley and Tori were out of sync as the day began and found themselves behind 5-2. As has become their modus operandi, the pair settled in, battled back, and took the point for Deerfield. Sophia and Emma were dominant at second doubles, splitting their opponents again and again to secure a decisive win. At third doubles, Lisa and Catalina could not find their rhythm. Fighting to the last point, the girls ultimately lost 4-8.
The thermometer was pushing 80 degrees by the time singles competitions got underway. First and second singles were both three-set affairs. Tori Waterfall lost her third set by a tiny margin and has every reason to be pleased with her debut at the first singles spot. Ashley Manning fought off fast first serves and steady ground strokes to close out the win with a comfortable third set victory. At three singles, Sophia Genender’s forehand and big serve were too much for her opponent; she won in two decisive sets. The story was similar for Emma at fourth singles. Consistent strokes and strategic point setup had her match in the books before any others had concluded. Adeliza won a marathon of a match in two close sets at fifth singles. Alya fought hard at sixth singles but fell to her Loomis opponent in three sets. A highlight of this match was when Alya was down in the first set 3-5, only to fight back and win it 7-5.
The team returns to the courts this afternoon and welcomes neighboring Northfield Mount Hermon. The final week of the regular season is a busy one; the team hopes to add three more wins to its 5-3 record.
Results:
Doubles:
Waterfall/ Manning: W 8-5
Genender/ Weech: W 8-2
Chen/ Llorente: L 4-8
Singles:
Waterfall: L 5-7, 6-4, 8-10
Manning: W 4-6, 6-2, 10-4
Genender: W 6-1, 6-2
Weech: W 6-2, 6-3
Grace: W 6-4, 6-4
Abd Aziz: L 7-5, 2-6, 6-10