Vineyard girls advance in state individual tennis tourney

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Samantha Potter (left) and Annie Burton both advanced to the second weekend of play in the state south sectional individual tournament. — File photo by Ralph Stewart

Martha’s Vineyard girls varsity tennis players Samantha Potter and Annie Burton were a combined 7-0 through the first four rounds of the MIAA South Sectional Individual Tennis Championships, held last weekend at Old Rochester Regional (ORR) High School and Tabor Academy, both in Marion. Both have advanced to the second weekend of play Saturday at ORR, the first time two Vineyard girls have done so.

Top-seeded Samantha Potter received a bye in the first round and won her second round match, 6-0, 6-0. Potter defeated Maggie Pedicini of Barnstable, 6-3, 6-2, in the third round and closed out the weekend with a 6-0, 6-1 fourth-round win over Olivia Sequin of Sturgis East (Hyannis).

“I was really happy with the way I was playing overall,” Samantha said. “I played a consistent, solid game.”

Samantha’s Vineyard teammate Annie Burton started off the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Ashley Pierce of Carver. The next three rounds were grueling matches. The unseeded Burton outlasted third-seeded Ally Dadoly of Nauset, 7-6 (7-1 tiebreaker), 4-6, 6-3, in the second round, beat Nauset’s Emma Dubbins, 7-5, 6-3, in the third round, and upset fourth-seeded Lauren Persson of Barnstable, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.

“It was some of my best play this season,” Annie said. “It’s always great to have Sam there. We have good team chemistry. We have our own pump up before going on court.”

Vineyarders go 1-2 vs. non-league foes

The Vineyard girls followed up clinching a third consecutive Eastern Athletic Conference title (shared with Bishop Feehan) on May 15 with two non-league road losses. The Vineyarders lost 3-2 on May 16 at Ursuline Academy in Dedham. M.V. beat the Lady Bears by the same count on April 27 in Oak Bluffs. Monday, the Vineyarders lost 4-1 to Cohasset, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season in a marathon South sectional semifinal. Coach Connie McHugh’s team got back on the winning track Tuesday in Marstons Mills with a 3-2 win over Cape Cod Academy.

The Vineyarders finished the regular season at 11-5 overall and 7-1 in the EAC. Playoff seedings for the MIAA state tournament will be announced on May 29.