Deerfield Girls Varsity Tennis headed south to Simsbury, CT for their second straight road match of the season. While a bit chilly to start, the sun soon crept out creating ideal match conditions.
Westminster jumped out early to force a lead on all three doubles counts. At second doubles, Ava Carvel ‘25 and Blake Coleman ‘27 settled in and reduced unforced errors after the second changeover. Westminster continued to fight back and kept the match close. Ultimately, Deerfield’s pair pulled away with two late wins to finish the match 8-6.
At third doubles, Alix Smith ‘25 and Chloe Hernandez ‘27 eased in quickly and some steady baseline play and aggressive net winners helped propel these two across the finish line in an 8-4 victory.
The singles phase was equally if not more competitive. Devon Coleman ‘25 battled hard against a tremendous opponent. After a tough first set, Devon clawed back to nearly even the score in the second set. Maggie Molson’s ‘25 match at second singles was more relaxing to watch as her powerful forehand kept her opponent at bay and helped Deerfield secure their third point.
Blake Coleman’s third singles match was another in a series of compelling contests. She found herself in a tiebreaker for the first set, but pulled it off 7-5. In the second set, Blake hit her stride and dominated the set.
Ava Carvel’s fourth singles match was a wild ride. Carvel fought back after falling back two games in the first set. Forcing a tiebreaker, Ava sliced her way to a 7-5 win. Westminster controlled the second set and the two headed for a third set super tiebreaker. Carvel jumped out to an early lead, but her Westy opponent battled at an 8-8. In a nail biter event, Carvel was able to close out the match for Deerfield with a thrilling 10-8 win!
Chloe Hernandez’s fifth singles match was another close come from behind win in the first set. Hernandez locked in and played a smart and steady second set to put another point on the board for Big Green.
Arabella Navab’s ‘26 winning streak continued at the sixth position. Not to be left out of the drama, Navab dominated the first set, but had to fight for the second. She forced a second tiebreaker set and rose to a 7-3 victory.
The afternoon in Simsbury highlighted the team’s resilience, skill, and unity, as they walked away with a 7-2 win. With their first victory under their belt, the team heads into Saturday’s home match against Taft with confidence.